The Mage and The Magician
by zXFallenAngelsXz
Summary: "Why are you doing this?" Shinichi turned to regard Kaito with his cold and calculating cerulean eyes, masking the sadness that wished to show through. "I have to." KaiShin, HeiKazu, HakuAo. AU. ON-HOLD.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I'm already working on a couple stories, some of which haven't progressed much (cough, The Ones Who Burn, cough) but I got bitten by this story and well, yeah. I couldn't help but write it, it was bothering me all night! O.O Blame watching too much Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha. This story has a lot of terms they use in that show, so if you don't get exactly what I mean (I'm very bad at explaining things) then look it up on the Nanoha wiki. But I warn you, some things are a bit different, not much, but a still. Or just ask me and I'll try my best to explain to you. Thank you. This is my first attempt at a story without my own OC, so please go easy on me. Expect a lot of OOC-ness because I suck at getting the general characterization of people. Constructive critics are **_**very**_** welcome! **

**Today's Quote: "Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. –Christopher Robin To Pooh.**

**Disclamer: I do not own Magic Kaito or Detective Conan in any way or form.**

**Warning(s): OCCness, Magic, and buddy-buddy Kaito and Hakuba. **

Chapter One

It would have been a normal day for one Kuroba Kaito; pulling pranks, ritual mop chase, dyeing Hakuba's hair a vibrant color, and then heading home with his two best friends. But the day had turned out slightly different from the morning and it had given him a slightly foreboding feeling. For one, Aoko couldn't come to school today because of a cold; that was relatively normal, but Hakuba had been on edge all day. Jumping at every little noise and analyzing his surroundings much more than usual. It was weird, to say the least. So here they were, walking home together.

"Are you alright?" Kaito asked, startling Hakuba out of his quiet stupor. He gave Kaito a short glare.

"I'm perfectly fine…, but," He paused and gave an exasperated sigh. "The TSAB contacted me earlier. Someone's been going around stealing and collecting large amounts of magic."

"Stealing magic? Is that possible?" Kaito raised a brow. It didn't sound very plausible.

"Yeah, it is possible if you have the correct technique. Usually, you can't steal magic without killing what it's currently residing in and then absorbing it, but if done properly, you can steal a large amount without actually killing anything." Hakuba paused and ruffled his currently green hair. "Although, I've heard that technique is also very dangerous for the victim's health. Lowering the magic level of someone too quickly could kill them."

"So, basically, they contacted you to see if you could help them find the person doing all that? Man, and I thought the police asked you to do some ridiculous things!" Kaito exclaimed. "Wouldn't that put you in danger of getting your magic stolen too?"

Hakuba looked affronted. "I wouldn't be taken that easily." He retorted. They reached Kaito's house and went inside, passing his mom as they headed to the living room.

"Besides, they didn't ask me to help catch him; they just asked to tell them if I see someone suspicious around. They traced the location to somewhere here, but they can't find the exact place when the mage isn't using a decent amount of power." He stated before taking his homework out of his backpack.

He plopped it in front of him with another sigh. Kaito grinned at him with a chuckle, pulling his out as well.

"Come on! Don't be so glum!" He cheered and slung and arm around the taller boy's shoulders. "I'll help you look for someone suspicious. It shouldn't be so hard. Remember, I have that thing that you said before."

Hakuba let out a small smile, shrugging off the arm around him, and then starting on his homework, ignoring the magician who was chattering to him about a variety of things now. Sometimes he wondered why he befriended such an idiot, but then he was reminded exactly why when Kaito gave him a large grin.

The two spent the rest of the day finishing work, talking, and watching random shows on the television before night fell. As Hakuba was about to leave, Kaito suggested a sleepover and so he decided to stay over. He contacted Baaya and they went up to Kaito's room, Kaito laying out a futon for his guest.

They just laid there for a while, staring at the ceiling and thinking over their day, falling asleep after saying goodnight to each other.

ooOOoo

Kaito woke up to hushed voices beside his bed. Pretending to be asleep still, he listened in to the conversation.

"Is that true?" Hakuba asked the person he was talking to with an urgent tone.

"Yeah, we were able to find the location he was in, but we underestimated him and only sent two officers. Their magic was stolen by him and now he's long gone from where we found him." The voice answered back. It was stern and obviously female.

"Were the officers okay?" Kaito wanted to know too and was grateful that he didn't have to ask himself. He wasn't exactly sure who the TSAB was, but he kinda didn't want to know if he really was supposed to know about it or not.

"Yes, unfortunately though, they won't be able to use magic for the next couple months or so." The other person let out a sigh. "He took a lot, the bastard." There was another pause and a muffled voice could be heard from the other end. "Sorry to ask you this, Hakuba-kun, but we need your help finding him again and your magic-sensing friend will help a lot."

Hakuba blinked and looked at the woman in the projected screen. "You want Kuroba-kun and me to help you?" His tone was incredulous.

The woman sighed. "You do know the area better than any one of our officers. I guess I could send one of our commissioners to help you. Would Kazuha-chan be okay to send? I believe you've met before when you were working as a temporary officer for us."

Kaito was surprised that the woman knew about him and that Hakuba had actually worked with the people of the TSAB. He listened for Hakuba's answer. "No, I think we'll be okay without Toyama-san. Well, as long as we don't get into a battle with him. I can do combat magic, but I'm afraid I'm not very good at it. I'm best at information gathering and defense, so if it comes to a fight, please send Toyama-san."

Kaito guessed the woman nodded because before he knew it he heard the woman thank Hakuba. "Anyways, when you find him please contact us immediately. He's dangerous." Hakuba nodded and gave the woman on the other side a small smile.

"Okay. Take care, Admiral Kisaki-san." The projected screen disappeared and he turned to Kaito who was still pretending to sleep. He gave Kaito a glare and sighed. "You can wake up now, Kuroba-kun."

Kaito laughed and got up, a grin on his face so big that it looked like his face would crack. "You're no fun, Sagu-chan!" He whined, relishing in the wince that came from being called that nickname. His smile lessened in brightness as he looked out the window of his room, looking at the sun filter through the blinds.

"So, were gonna go searching for him, right?" He looked back as Hakuba stretched. "The magic thief?" The blond nodded and they both headed down for breakfast.

"Since today is Saturday, I think it'll be best if we do the searching today." Hakuba said as he took a bite out of his cereal. Kaito nodded and took a spoonful of his Captain Crunch. "Okay!" He gave a smile and they went about their morning routines before heading out to the city where they would begin their search. Their first stop would be the local police station.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Sorry if the action scene at the end of this is really badly written, I usually don't write action scenes. This chapter is longer than the first one, so I'm quite happy. ^^ I really like it when I write longer chapters because I usually write short ones, so it makes me feel accomplished. Lol! I feel like Shinichi is so OOC that if someone were to read it, they wouldn't know who I was talking about. Does anybody know how I can fix that? Or something, cause it's really bugging me! XD I would ask my sister, but she doesn't watch DC, so it'd be pretty pointless… Oh! Everything underlined is either in English, or if it is also in italics, it'll be in another language like German or something. **

**Today's Quote: "****I am searching for abstract ways of expressing reality, abstract forms that will enlighten my own mystery." – Eric Cantona.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Magic Kaito or Detective Conan in any way or form.**

**Warning(s): Horribly written action scenes, OOCness, use of magic.**

Chapter Two

"So has anything strange happened recently?"

Ginzo looked at the two boys in front of him, a deep sigh escaping his lips. "Like attacks that leave people alive, but very weak and they have to be hospitalized?" Kaito piped up.

Ginzo nodded his head briefly. There had been a lot of attacks happening like that. The police were still trying to figure out what the culprit actually did to all of the victims. They couldn't find any drugs or anything in their systems and they were relatively unhurt and nothing else had been touched, except for a few times when they would find the victim pretty banged up.

"Yeah, there have been a lot of those recently. Why?" The inspector questioned gruffly.

Hakuba smiled charmingly at him. "I have a client who's worried about being attacked since she lives around this area." He lied smoothly, Kaito giving him an impressed look. Ginzo looked a bit suspicious but then glared at them. "Why didn't she come to the police then?" He roared. "Jeez, some people have no respect for us officers anymore!"

They both winced at his volume, but then just shrugged it off. He had always been loud. "Do you know where these attacks have been happening a lot, just so I can assure my client and tell her to avoid those parts?"

"Yeah, I guess. They have been happening everywhere around here, so I can't give you an exact place where these have been happening a lot. Just tell your client to hire a bodyguard or something."

"Thanks, Nakamouri-Keibu!" Kaito gave him a grin before they both left the police station. "Well, at least we know he's staying in this area." Kaito supplied when Hakuba gave an annoyed sound in the back of his throat. The blond rolled his eyes, but nodded.

"I guess we'll have to start searching somewhere random." He dryly stated.

"Let's start in Shibuya and walk around, who knows? We might find him." Another bright grin and they continued on. Kaito was the first to talk again. "I didn't know you could lie so believably, Hakuba." The person in question gave the magician a glance and smiled a bit. They reached the train station and got their tickets, boarding the train and then sitting on an unoccupied seat. The train lurched forward as it started moving.

Hakuba waited to answer when they stopped and people got on and off. "What, you thought I could hide the fact that I'm a mage if I didn't know how to properly lie?" An amused tone was in his voice as he looked at the people around them.

"But I thought detectives were always obsessed with truth and whatnot?" Kaito gave smirk. "I guess that doesn't count for them then?" The messy haired teen gave a laugh at the glare he received from Hakuba.

"Well, excuse me for not wanting everyone to know that a logical person like me has magic."

"You're excused."

"Kuroba, you…" Hakuba cut off his sentence as the train arrived at their stop and they got off, beginning to search the crowd for magic users.

After a while of wandering, they found a café just in time for lunch. At the same time, two girls walked in at the same time as them, both groups turning to look at the others immediately after sensing the others magic. The first girl was a pretty brunette with long hair who looked uncannily like Aoko, and the other was a girl with short light brown hair. They looked at them warily for a moment before the brunette gave them a smile, eyes lighting up in recognition.

"Are you Hakuba Saguru-san?" She asked and the shorter of the two girls looked over at the girl who spoke with a confused look. The long haired girl turned to her and spoke, "I heard from Okaa-san that someone named Hakuba Saguru was searching around here with his friend for a criminal they're looking for." She explained. The other girl's mouth formed an O before she turned to smile at the two boys.

"Yes, I'm Hakuba Saguru." Hakuba answered the girl's previous question. "And this idiot here is Kuroba Kaito. Nice to meet you." Kaito sent Hakuba an offended look before turning and producing yellow roses for both girls. "Nice to meet you!" He cheered to the two who were giggling.

"I'm Mouri Ran, nice to meet you." The brunette with long hair introduced, brushing a piece of her hair behind her ear. The one with shorter hair grinned at them. "I'm Suzuki Sonoko; Ran's familiar, nice to meet you."

"So that's why you're using transformation magic." Hakuba theorized and the girl nodded. "Yeah, we can't have people seeing me walk around with ears and a tail." She joked. Kaito looked a bit lost but covered it with his pokerface quickly, hiding his confusion.

"My mom didn't tell me what criminal you're after. Maybe we can help." Ran offered them.

Hakuba was about to object but Kaito cut in. "Sure, we could use all the help we can get. This guy's slippery." Ran gave him a friendly smile. "So who are we going to be looking for?" Hakuba brushed his hand through his bangs, sighing, before answering. "We're looking for the person who is going around stealing magic. He's somewhere around this area."

"Eh?" Sonoko screeched. "Ran, we can't help them! You don't use combat magic!" She whisper screamed to her master. "The guy they're looking for is a device user! What if he attacks you?"

Ran looked at Sonoko with a bright smile. "Then you'll protect me, right?" She paused as Sonoko sunk a bit and nodded. "Besides, I do know a bit of combat magic; I just don't use it often."

"Ne, Hakuba," Kaito called. "What's a device user?" Hakuba looked over to his friend.

"A device user is a mage who usually excels in combat magic. They use the devices to use powerful fighting magic; when a mage doesn't have a device, they can't use powerful combat magic. Devices can be used for many different things, but the devices vary from each other in many ways. It's influenced by the user's magic so when battling a combat mage, it's very complicated unless you're a combat mage yourself. But still, it would be difficult unless you've battled with the other a lot and know all their attacks. " He paused to chuckle. "I'm not sure if that makes sense to you. The TSAB has storage devices too, that cover certain areas of magic that they use for special occasions. Like ones for freezing magic or something like that; any person can use devices that are like that, but the ones the device users have belong to them and them alone. Those are called the 'Intelligent Devices' who have their own will and personality in a way."

"O…Kay." Kaito trailed. He didn't get it. Hakuba let out a chuckle again. "It's easier to understand when you see them in action. So if we get attacked, you'll know what I mean." He smiled as Kaito let out a weak chuckle.

"Don't worry." Ran soothed the magician. "If we get attacked, I'm sure Okaa-san will send in backup." Kaito gave her a grin and nodded before sitting himself at a free table.

"I think we should eat first before anything, though."

ooOOoo

They had been searching for _hours_ and still hadn't found anything yet. "Maybe we should give up for today, Ran." Sonoko sighed, looking up at the girl she addressed. Ran sighed too, "Maybe we should. We haven't found anyone fitting the description yet." Hakuba and Kaito nodded in agreement. Hakuba pulled some out of his pocket, snapping the golden cap open.

"I guess we should turn in. It's already 8 hours, 34 minutes, and 8.7 seconds." Hakuba informed them, putting his pocket watch back to where he had taken it out. The two girls blinked while Kaito rolled his eyes.

Ran paused for a minute. "Wait, you said it's eight already?" Ran pulled out her cell phone hastily. "I was supposed to make dinner tonight for Otou-san!" She exclaimed. Sonoko made a panicked face and watched the taller hurry to call her father.

Ran tapped her foot impatiently when it began to ring. She heard the phone pick up and sighed in relief. "Ran? Is that you?" Her father's slurred voice questioned don the other side.

"Otou-san! Have you been drinking again?" She scolded him.

"Where are you? I thought you were supposed to make dinner tonight." Kogoro hiccupped. "Don't tell me your with a boy right no-," Ran blinked.

"Otou-san?" She called. She lowered the phone from her ear and gave it a confused look. Kaito looked over at her. "What happened? Did he hang up on you?" He asked. She shook her head, a small frown on her face.

"No, it cut off." She said. Hakuba looked at her. "Cut off? That can't be right; we're in the middle of the city." Ran shut her phone, sighing and putting it back into her bag, before turning to look at the two boys.

"Well, Sonoko and I should get going. It was nice meeting you." She gave them a smile and Sonoko hurried to say goodbye, rushing to catch up with Ran, waving an arm at them before turning a corner and disappearing with her master. Hakuba's forehead scrunched together as he looked at Kaito, a hand reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose.

"Looks like we're not gonna find him anytime soon." Kaito laughed. Hakuba gave him a sound of agreement before perking up, face lighting up in remembrance. He smacked his forehead softly, cursing in English. "Why didn't I bloody think of this before?" A smile made its way on his lips as his mood brightened a bit.

"Uh, Hakuba," Kaito started. "Have you finally lost your marbles? I said we're not gonna find him anytime soon, why are you so happy all of a sudden?" Hakuba sent a glare at Kaito, before smiling again. "We can turn in for today. I'll use search magic tomorrow and find him." He explained. Kaito's grin grew. "Okay." They started on their way home.

ooOOoo

"Hattori, set up a magical barrier." A calm voice commanded.

Said familiar nodded and a dark blue magical circle grew beneath him as he covered a small area in a grayish cover, making everyone vanish, leaving only the lonely streets. Heiji grinned at his master, his wolf ears twitching in a certain direction. He chuckled. "Looks like its just one mage and her familiar." His Osakan accent filtered through his sentence.

"Want my help with this one, Kudou?" He teased, tail twitching happily as he got a small smile to break through his master's usually cold mask that he wore when working.

"Okay, you can help me with this one." Shinichi paused. "You'll have to restrain the familiar. The mage doesn't feel very powerful, but the familiars usually get overprotective." Heiji gave Shinichi a glare and earned a smirk in return. "It's true."

"Yeah, yeah; whatever, don't get too cocky, Kudou. The Time-Space Administration Bureau is looking for you right now, and being too over confident will get us caught."

Shinichi took out a small silver cross with a blue jewel embedded into the center. "I know that." He commented dryly. A magic circle appeared at his feet and the light engulfed him, before disappearing, leaving him in his barrier jacket. The cross he had held in his grip was now replaced with a silver and blue complex looking staff, the diamond-shaped jewel in the middle of the crest at the top.

"Ready, Conan?" He questioned, looking at the jewel as it glowed dark blue as it replied, "Yes, sir." Hattori changed into his barrier jacket too, his ears and tail now more comfortable due to the clothing being made for him. "Well, let's get this over with before those annoying ticks of the TSAB break through the encirclement." Shinichi let out with a resentful tone.

"Yes, sir." Conan paused. "Targets heading our way now from the east." Shinichi nodded at Hattori who headed off in an opposite direction to get them from behind while Shinichi headed straight at them. He let his arm down to walk easier with his device as he neared. He could hear them talking now.

"Ran, do you think something happened?" Ran looked over to her friend who had now let go of her transformation magic and was baring her cat ears and tail. She was in her barrier jacket which didn't really look like protective cloths due to it being a small shirt that stopped above her navel and a pair of short shorts. The only thing that looked really protective were her gloves, which had metal covering the back of the hands. Ran shook her head.

"Probably not, since this is a barrier-type magical encirclement. Barrier-types keep everyone outside out until they find a way to break through. It's kind of like putting a large area under a huge shield. It cuts off the view cameras from headquarters too, I heard." Ran explained. "So, I don't think that it's the TSAB because putting up this type of encirclement would be effectively locking the officers out." Sonoko and Ran looked towards the spot where Shinichi had been listening in.

"Isn't that right, thief-san?" footsteps met their ears and Shinichi stepped from his hiding space from the corner of the alley. "Very good deduction." He complimented, "I would clap, but my hands are full." His eyes wandered down to his staff, who replied with a, "Sorry for any inconvenience, sir." Shinichi let out a sigh.

"Well, since you already know what I'm here for, I'll give you a choice." He held up his free hand, the completely metal glove glinting in the dim light. He stuck up one finger. "Your first choice is too let us do our job peacefully. I'll be as gentle as possible and it usually helps if the person is willingly giving their magic. When by force, I imagine it to be very painful they way I do it." Sonoko moved in front of Ran, a hiss ripping through her throat.

"Like we're going to let you just take her magic, you idiot!" She screamed, a magic circle already beneath her feet, and just as she was about to attack, she was suddenly stuck in place. She blinked and looked at her wrists and ankles. "A bind?" Shinichi looked blankly at the short haired girl before turning to the mage with a raised brow. Sonoko looked back to find a dark skinned man grinning at her in a decidedly wolfish way. She let out an annoyed 'tsk', before focusing on breaking free.

"I think you know what the other choice is; you were looking for me all day after all." Ran looked at her familiar in a panic, and then back at the mage standing less than ten feet away. "You were watching us then?" Ran gave him a glare. He nodded at her question and her glare hardened.

"Anyways, you can choose now. You're familiar is close to breaking the bind and a fight will break out between both our familiars, if you don't hurry." He stated calmly, looking at her in an expectant way that Ran found oddly relaxing before snapping out of it and frowning at him deeply.

"I'm not about to let you take my magic for you to use for something no good!" Ran shouted, and with her decision made a darkish pink light surrounded her before disappearing. Ran appeared again, in a red barrier jacket. Energy balls of the same pink immediately filled the air around her and she focused on the form of the man in front of her quickly. "Shoot." She commanded and the balls were sent flying to Shinichi at high speeds.

The calm voice of the boy's device startled her, making her look towards the now smoking place. "Field Forward." She squinted trying to get a better look; she could hear the explosions from the fight of her familiar and Shinichi's in the background distantly. She blinked when the smoke cleared. Nobody was there.

"That was a good attack. You should become a device user. I think you'd do pretty well." A voice called behind her, causing a startling shiver to run through her frame. Her head was turning to the side before a jolting pain going through her chest had her frozen in shock, eyes wide from fear and pain and surprise all wrapped into one. She vaguely heard someone calling her name in a panic and a couple curses before someone said something to someone named Kudou.

Her head tilted down slowly, inch by inch, scared to figure out the source of her pain. Her eyes got wider, if possible, when she met the sight of Shinichi's less protected hand sticking right through her body, hand curling around a pink light carefully, calculatingly. She wanted to speak, but no words would leave the lump in her throat. She felt sick. The pink light grew smaller with every passing second. The brunette's vision blurred and she suddenly found herself too sleepy. She felt like she was going to pass out in a few moments.

When the hand finally left her chest, she nearly collapsed to the floor but was caught and gently put on the floor by the very person who had impaled her earlier. Shinichi looked towards Hattori fighting with Sonoko, both suspended high in the air and throwing punches. He looked back down at Ran who had become unconscious, an apologetic look flashing in his eyes before hardening again.

"Collection complete. Magical encirclement reaching critical limit. Officers will arrive in a few minutes, sir." Conan spoke out, gaining both Heiji and Shinichi's attention. Shinichi waved Hattori over and Sonoko rushed over to Ran's side once her opponent let her.

"Initiating long distance transfer." The dark blue magic engulfed the two as soon as the encirclement was broken through; the paramedics hurrying to Ran's unconscious form and beginning to perform healing magic on her. The grayish tint to the building and sky disappeared and another appeared not a second later, one by the TSAB this time, to prevent anyone seeing them use their magic; this one not trapping anyone out or in.

The only traces of the two were small damages inflicted on some buildings that Sonoko and Hattori had accidently ruined in their brawl and the two girl's memories.

**Review Replies: **

**Shara Raizel: Thank you, and yay! I updated! XD I didn't think I'd get one up so soon.**

**Foreverandeveralone: I had a hard time deciding whether I should put it in the Detective Conan section or not, but I decided to put it here because it feels more at home here, lol! At least to me. ^^' And thanks. Here's the updated! X3**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: ...I don't think that this chapter is very well written, but oh well. Enjoy? Oh! And sorry about the last chapter, it got rid of my dividers for some reason, so I changed then and now they're the 'O' thingies! XD I hope they don't disappear too, that would be troublesome… -_- **

**Today's Quote: "We're never more vulnerable than when we trust someone – but paradoxically, if we cannot trust, neither can we find love or joy." – Walter Anderson **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Magic Kaito or Detective Conan in any way or form. **

**Warning(s): OCCness, use of magic, hospitals, and bad endings… Sorry 'bout that. **

Chapter Three

"You're not working fast enough, Kudou-kun." Shiho stated when the blue glow completely died down, leaving her two roommates in its space. Shinichi looked at her, giving her a greeting smile. "Anokata will not be pleased with you." Her voice was soft and calm, like they were talking about the weather or something.

Shinichi frowned lightly and shrugged. "I'm working as fast as I can." His face had gone carefully blank.

Shiho sighed and gave him a look. "Well, just be sure that you don't get caught by those justice seekers after you." He gave her a deadpan look. "Right, you already know that." She smirked. She loved the little moments when they bickered like this. He had started to close himself off more and it was worrying her, not that she'd ever admit it. Shinichi changed out of his barrier jacket, and sat down on the couch the strawberry blonde was sitting on. Conan now back to his standby mode and hanging on Shinichi's neck like a necklace.

"So, how's your work coming along?" He asked her, giving Hattori a grateful smile when the familiar offered him a cup of coffee. Hattori disappeared down the corridor of the apartment when Shiho began to answer. The girl still gave him the shivers despite him living with her for as long as he can remember being Shinichi's familiar. Shinichi looked down at Shiho's frail wrist, glaring at the bracelet that was adorning it without the wearer noticing because she was now picking up paper with complicated math equations.

"I'm still working on it; they should be done in two weeks at most. And since Conan already has a cartridge system…,"

ooOOOOoo

Hakuba woke to knocking on his door. His Baaya was on a short vacation he had gave her and obviously wasn't there to answer it, so he had to get it himself. He groaned and rolled over before sitting up, running a hand through is blond hair. He had finally been able to wash out the green dye yesterday night. He walked over to the door, cursing the person bothering his sleep under his breath in English. When he looked through the peephole, he nearly just went back to bed. With a sigh, he opened the door to reveal Kaito's grinning face.

"What the bloody hell are doing here so early, Kuroba-kun?" He asked irately, glaring down at the magician. Kaito's grin grew impossibly wider.

"Now, is that any way to talk to someone who bothered to walk over here to spend some quality time with you?" He gasped in mock-disbelief. Hakuba rolled his eyes, but moved aside so that Kaito could slip inside. He closed the door and followed Kaito into his living room. Kaito sat down on the couch, looking for the entire world at home.

"You never answered my question." Hakuba gave Kaito an annoyed look and sat next to him, still clad in his pajamas.

His guest chuckled and began shuffling a pack of cards that appeared out of nowhere. "I came here to watch you do your magic." He explained and his violet eyes gleamed with excitement. "I've never actually saw you use it before." Hakuba sent him an eye roll before nodding, deciding that it was best just to let the magician do what he wanted. Kurobas always get what they want. He had learned that the hard way.

"Do what you want." He sighed, standing up and heading back up the stairs. "Wait there, I need to get dressed."

Kaito shuffled the cards a bit longer, before putting them away and turning on the TV. He made a face when he realized it was on the news channel. How could Hakuba watch this? He wondered briefly before grabbing the remote to change. Before he could hit the buttons to, though, a sentence caught his attention.

"_Another serial attack happened yesterday in Shibuya. The police are still trying to find the culprit to these horrible feats._" The woman on the TV spoke in a cheery voice, like she was telling good news; a fake smile plastered on her make-up caked face. Kaito blinked and decided to listen about whom they were dealing with and such.

"_The victim this time was a minor, still in high school. Mouri Ran, the daughter of the Sleeping Detective Mouri Kogoro was the one attacked. What will Mouri-san do about this?_" Kaito cracked a grin, bright because of his poker face, his voice quiet when he spoke. "You're kidding, right?"

The screen shifted to face one angry looking Mouri Kogoro, his voice raging various threats and other such things to the camera, giving the culprit an on-screen warning. "Hakuba!" Kaito called up, hoping that the detective would hurry changing. How long did it take to get dressed? "Hakuba!" He tried louder and received an irritated humph from above before a steady set of footsteps were heard coming down the stairs.

Hakuba returned to the room, his hair slightly disheveled , and he was still buttoning up his shirt. "What, Kuroba-kun?"

"Mouri-chan's first name was Ran, right? Tell me I'm wrong for once." Kaito asked him, knowing secretly that his memory was to a perfect T. Hakuba blinked and looked at the TV before sighing and pinching the bridge of his nose. "The culprit had been waiting for us to separate." He deduced in a world-weary voice. He felt like he had been the cause of the young lady getting attacked even though he knew there was nothing he could have done either way. He had strong magic, but he didn't like using it for violent reasons. "I guess we better go visit her at the hospital and check to see if she's okay. We can also ask her and Suzuki-san if they remember anything about him or her."

Kaito's face got unusually serious and he nodded in agreement, following his friend out of the house who was combing his hair with his fingers, trying to look more presentable. They walked along towards Haido Hospital. Hakuba had already deduced that they would put her there because it was the only hospital that had several mages working with them. They went up to the front desk and were directed to Mouri Ran's room.

ooOOOOoo

Ran looked up from the book she was currently reading, courtesy of Sonoko bringing it to her when she had stated she was bored. Seriously, Sonoko was too overprotective of her since the day she had found her lying in the rain…Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. "Come in."

Kaito and Hakuba came into the room, looking a concerned, and on Hakuba's part, a bit awkward. "Hey, Mouri-chan!" Kaito greeted the bedridden girl with a grin. She smiled back at him and the blond cleared his throat before offering his own smile to the brunette. Ran braced herself for the questions she knew were going to launch from the blond detective. It wasn't that she was in shock or that she found thinking about the accident painful, but for some reason she didn't think the boy who had attacked her to be a bad person. She always went with a gut feeling, and the boy had made her feel calm, like nothing bad could happen.

"Mouri-san, I would like to ask you some questions pertaining to the attack last night, is that okay?" Hakuba ventured softly, taking a seat on the chair next to the bed; Kaito giving him a slight pout when he had to stand, but instead shrugged and took a seat at the foot of the hospital bed while Ran sat up and placed the book next to her pillow.

She nodded, face serious. Hakuba flashed a quick smile and started, getting his pen ready with his small notebook. "Okay, what do you remember about the culprit?"

"Well, he was a teenager boy who looked a lot like Kuroba-kun. Although, he had softer features and I think he was shorter, but I'm not sure since I couldn't compare them side to side. I don't think he was using any Transformation Magic, but I'm not sure since I didn't analyze him like you did when we first met." Hakuba's hand glided across the page, filling it with words and theories quite quickly; if someone had looked close enough they would have realized that the words were appearing before the pen had even touch the page.

"He had a familiar with him, I believe he called him 'Hattori' and the familiar called him 'Kudou'." She pondered and Hakuba blinked, his writing pausing for a moment before starting again.

"So, he looked like me, huh?" Kaito grinned impishly. "Was he cute?" He questioned, trying to recover from his boredom and make the situation lighter. Ran blushed and stammered before coughing and nodding a bit. "He was handsome, and something about him made me feel safe…But then he stole my magic…So..," The mage mumbled, feeling utterly ashamed that she had almost trusted him.

Kaito made an interested sound and looked back at the only girl in the room. "But since he didn't take all your magic, killing you, he must not be that bad of a person, right?" Hakuba sighed from his place in the chair, gaining their attention. "If he was not a criminal, Kuroba-kun, then he wouldn't be stealing magic at all. And just because he's never killed anyone doesn't mean that he hasn't been close to. People who are device users like him fight back, and end up half-dead when the TSAB finally is able to reach them." He tutted, obviously annoyed at the queries about the culprits intentions.

Kaito rolled his eyes at the scolding and turned to Ran, deciding to ignore his one-set mind friend to continue talking. Hakuba leaned back in his chair to watch the two talk bubbly about things such as Mage Magic, Magician Magic, tricks, school, and over all random topics. An amused smile came upon his lips as he listened to them.

He was glad that Ran seemed as energetic as she had yesterday. He started thinking through the possibilities of the identity of the person who had attacked them. Since Ran hadn't used Assessment Magic like he had when they first met, she hadn't known if it was his real face or not. And the names that the two criminals had called each other, Kudou and Hattori, it had him confused.

He had automatically thought of one person when he had heard the name Kudou. But it was impossible for him to think that the author had done anything so atrocious, plus he or his wife weren't mages and none of their family before, so it was impossible; magic was carried through bloodlines, after all. Kudou Yuusaku and Kudou Yukiko were obviously innocent –The man used to be a police consultant- and there was no evidence pointing at them. Of course, it could be a different Kudou, but from when he was in the TSAB, it had been necessary for all recruits to know the names of all mages in the area they worked in, but he had seen no Kudous who had magic. Also, if there was a Kudou from the surrounding areas that had moved from wherever they had been and started stealing magic, they would have been caught already.

There was also the matter of the familiar's name, Hattori. The first name he thought of was Hattori Heizo, the chief of police in Osaka. It could have already been his name when the Kudou guy found him, but he didn't think that was the case. Being so loyal as to actually commit a crime with their master, it means they've been together for a long time. If Kudou hadn't been using transformation magic, then that means they must have been together since they were small. The Kudou guy must have created the Hattori familiar when he was young then. Most familiars are loyal, but usually not so loyal as to do something they find wrong in anyway and most familiars are very conscious of right and wrong since most of them are created after someone or something has hurt them. Hakuba pinched the bridge of his nose for the second time today.

Even if they are alias, why choose those certain names?

**Review Replies:**

**To: Shara Raizel - Thank you! And i always wanted to make Shinichi the bad guy, so i thought, why not? XD Hope you like this chapter, it's one step closer to finding out his motive! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Sorry that this is a short one. I kind of lost inspiration half way through this, but I wanted to get this chapter out! XD I've been busy catching up on school and stuff. My sleep schedule has been even more messed up than usual too. . I finally got some sleep yesterday and am currently up now (5:11AM my time) because I couldn't fall asleep due to sleeping all day! XD *cough* I really need to fix that… **

**Today's Quote: "There is nothing new except what has been forgotten" – Marie Antoinette.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Magic Kaito or Detective Conan in any way or form.**

**Warning(s): Shitty writing, typos, use of magic, AU, and epic shortness, OOCness, and suck-ish endings. (Couldn't find a good place to end and so I kinda just wrapped it up there…)**

Chapter Four

Hakuba looked over to Kaito as they walked out of the surrounding hospital area, the afternoon sun bathing them in comfortable warmth. He was disturbed by the magician's face looking his way with a manic grin in place. It sent chills down his spine despite knowing Kaito for a while now. "What?" He asked dryly and the grin grew wider –if possible.

"Well, aren't you going to do _your _magic now?" He paused and gestured to the people-filled area around them. "Not here, obviously. But you said that you would use your 'tracking magic' or something like that." Hakuba blinked and a wry smile adorned his lips as he looked around the area they were in. It was busy area, a city district with traffic and stoplights and many business people walking around. "I was planning to just do it here; there's no need for the hocus pocus, after all." He chuckled and Kaito pouted.

"But I want to see all the hocus pocus!" He whined. "It's no fun if it isn't showy." Hakuba rolled his eyes at the childish display, but instead grabbed Kaito's hand tightly in his, earning a baffled look from the shorter male.

"I like you, Hakuba, but not that much." That comment surely earned him a flick on his head before he explained the situation to the clueless teen.

"I'm not holding your hand because I want to." He growled lowly, as to not alarm the people of the street. "I'm holding your hand so that you can see the magic and…The hocus pocus. Unless magic is purposely hidden, it can be seen by anyone. But if hidden, then the only people who can see it are the ones that are closely connected to the mage or are holding the mage in some way or other. This doesn't apply to combat magic; you can't hide that kind of magic, it's too powerful." That was the brief of things at least. No need to say that a mage with great skill can actually hide combat magic; it would just set his friend on edge. He still hadn't met someone like that, though.

"Oh." Kaito tightened his hand around Hakuba's in excitement. He vaguely heard, "He's either out of range or using a blockage spell; if not, than we have him", but decided to ignore him instead for heightening up his Magic Sense. He enjoyed feeling magic, it felt…Magical. He internally face palmed at his brilliant choice of words.

A translucent bright green pulse ran through the crowd, no one noticing but the two boys from where the pulse had originated. Kaito was wowed as the pretty color circle continued on until the most-visible part disappeared from view completely, leaving everyone in the translucent green while searching. He looked over at the blond, feeling the pure magic radiate off his friend in powerful waves, and smiled at him, silently thanking him for letting him see.

Hakuba's hand was stiff in his and he gave it a little squeeze of reassurance, the hand relaxing at the small, comforting gesture. Both the teenagers' attention shifted to the right as the magic flow from the right resounded back to them.

ooOOoo

"…And then Kamen Yaiba gave him the Yaiba Kick and defeated the bad guy!" Ayumi cheered excitedly, earning a fond look from the only teenager and the other two boys of the group. Genta and Mitsuhiko nodded brightly up at Shinichi as he laughed at their enthusiasm. They were currently headed to a revolving sushi restaurant that they had discovered earlier in the week; he hadn't had money to pay for it then, so they had postponed it for today.

Shinichi paused mid-step as what seemed to be a strong wind pushed right through him, chilling him to the core as realization hit him; he had forgotten to put up his blockage spell today. How could I have been so careless, he berated himself internally as the kids stopped and looked up at him in confusion.

He immediately jumped into action, pulling out a wad of money and slipping it into Genta's surprised hands. Ayumi's hand was held protectively in his as he crouched down and looked the group in the eyes.

"There are some people who have found where I am, so I have to go, okay?" He let go of the little hand he had been holding onto and searched his pocket for a moment before pulling out a necklace, the cross somewhat similar to the one on his neck glinting in the light. Instead of the dark blue jewel though, it was an orange colored jewel. "Take Haibara with you, just in case." The necklace was taken from his hand by Mitsuhiko, the one who usually kept Haibara in the little group. Shinichi stood back up.

"Take care of them, Haibara." He flashed the group a slightly worried smirk before dashing off, missing the 'alright, boss' from the cross. The kids looked at each other before taking it as normal; after all, they knew exactly what Shinichi was and what he was doing currently. They continued walking on with their chatter, heading to the sushi place with the money Shinichi had handed them just before his departure.

ooOOoo

Shinichi ran and ran. He still couldn't believe that someone had actually tried tracking him. It was illegal for the TSAB to trace people due to some law that was made after a certain incident that he didn't care to remember; of course, he had always put up a blockage spell just in case. He had just forgotten today, even after being scolded by Shiho that one time he had forgotten before. Apparently, the TSAB wasn't the only people after them, but she wouldn't tell him who exactly. It irritated him to no end and now he was being pursued.

He skidded around a corner sharply, lifting Conan over his head and reciting his short incantation. The blue glow surrounded his running form before going away and revealing Conan's true form; the staff and cross combined. Shinichi didn't bother changing into his barrier jacket as he continued through the alleys.

He needed to at least get out of range before transporting back to the apartment; he couldn't be sure if the person who was trying to find him was close by and would have a chance to catch him when initiating the transportation.

"Shoot," Shinichi cursed as he sidestepped a cat –just barely. He blinked and turned his head to look over his shoulder as footsteps started to sound behind him, two judging by the sound. Too bad that you can't put a blockage spell after they've already found you, he thought wryly as he tried to ignore the sounds behind him, closing in at a fast pace despite his runner's sprint; he wasn't a soccer player for nothing.

"Stop right there!" He heard a shout behind him and he chuckled breathlessly. As if he was just going to turn himself in to them; police or not. He turned another corner and stopped sharply.

"To the apartment." He whispered and a magic circle formed underneath him, the dark blue coloring the brick walls around him. "Yes, sir. Initiating short distance transfer." The light grew brighter and brighter and just after two teenagers rounded the corner, catching sight of Shinichi briefly, he was gone.

Hakuba pinched the bridge of his nose, hunching over and holding himself up with a hand on his knee, trying to catch his breath. Kaito was still, a sort of awed look on his face as he laughed a bit. That was more fun than he had expected. Running through the town, chasing after a mage who was a thief; interesting to say the least.

**Review Replies:**

**To: Shara Raizel – It would be weird if Shinichi had hurt her a lot. And they almost met face to face in this chapter! So close yet so far! XD Thanks for the review. :) **

**To: KidfishxD – Thank you! I do find the idea of Shinichi as the bad guy intriguing, so I thought 'what the heck?' XD **

**To: Takaya Cu (Chapter two review) – I decided to use Shinichi as a bad guy because it was an interesting idea. Sorry if it's really weird. ^^'**

**To: Mai-chan63 – Thanks. Here's the update. :D**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Err…Sorry? It's been a long time since I've updated, huh? I'm so very sorry for that. I got writer's block for this story, but I finally overcame it. I should be posting up more chapters this summer since my writer's block is gone, school is out, summer vacation is here, and I have nothing better to do. XDD This is a kinda short chapter, but it holds a lot foreshadowing in it – hope you enjoy! 8D**

**Today's Quote: "I know why the caged bird sings, ah me, when his wing is bruised and his bosom sore; when he beats his bars and he would be free, it is not a carol of joy or glee, but a prayer that he sends from his heart's deep core." – Paul Laurence Dunbar.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Magic Kaito or Detective Conan in any way or form. **

**Warning(s): Use of magic, OOCness, AU, epic shortness, and foreshadowing – I love foreshadowing. (Laughs) **

Shinichi arrived in his bedroom in a burst of dark blue light. He sighed and winced before falling down onto his bed. Silently, he hoped that Hattori wouldn't come in right now. He brought his hand up and watched as it flickered, disappearing and reappearing so fast that, if you didn't know what was happening, you would have missed it. His hand clenched tightly, his head turning to the door as someone knocked.

"Come in," He smiled when the door opened to reveal Shiho's impassive face.

Shiho walked over to his bed and took a seat on it while he sat up, the smile becoming concerned when she didn't say anything. He was about to open his mouth to ask what was wrong when she spoke up. "Are you an idiot?" Her tone was sharp, and he flinched back from her with a surprised face. She continued on, glaring at him sternly.

"You know that using transportation magic takes a lot of power! You're _made_ out of magic, you can't use it carelessly! If you use too much, you'll _disappear_!" She seethed, concern clear in her eyes despite her harshness.

Shinichi waited for her to blow off her steam, before grabbing her hand, making her look up in surprise. "I know you're worried, but I need to do what I can, to protect you." Shiho paused before frowning in guilt and she gripped his hand softly. "I know, Shinichi-kun…,"

ooOOoo

Heiji stood outside the door, his ear twitching slightly as a grim expression covered his face. He didn't dare move inside the room, though, deciding to let the two converse alone. He quietly left the hall, moving to the kitchen to make a late lunch for himself and his comrades.

ooOOoo

Shiho suddenly gripped his hand with both her hands, a pale yellow glow surrounding their hands. Shinichi blinked and looked up at her, feeling the magic starting to enter his system quite easily. "What are you doing?" She sighed, giving him an irritated look. "What does it look like I'm doing, stupid?"

"I mean, I know you're giving me some of your magic, but don't you need it for those cartridges you were making?" He asked worriedly. He didn't want to be a bother, and he already knew that she was working so hard.

"Those will be fine." She stated, a smug smile making its way to her lips. "I am a Miyano, after all. We excel in Creation Magic – you probably know that already, though, considering who you are." It was Shinichi's turn to give her an irritated look. The look disappeared soon, though, since the feeling of his magic increasing felt fluttery and blissful. His eyes closed, and his missed the amused and fond look sent his way.

"You know, Kudou-kun, the girl you attacked yesterday…," He opened his cerulean orbs to give her a curious look. "I believe she was the daughter of Kisaki Eri, the Admiral of the TSAB."

Shinichi's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open, and his face paled a bit. He couldn't believe the nonsense he was hearing. There was no way that that girl was the Admiral's daughter…right? "You're kidding me." He deadpanned, waiting for the catch line. But, it never came, and he should have known better considering he was talking to Shiho – she would never make a joke about that certain subject.

"Well, that's just great." He sighed, sarcasm lacing his every word. "Now, basing it on that woman's personality, she'll just try harder to find me."

Shiho gave a small chuckle that sounded just a touch sadistic. "Well, it serves you right. It should be good enough punishment for you being a careless idiot, Mr. No Blockage Spell." She smirked as he gave her an apologetic look. He knew damn well he couldn't hide anything for her; after all, they were connected.

ooOOoo

"Come on, Hakuba! Cheer up!" Kaito patted said teen's back, initiating a glare from the taller of the two.

They were walking back to Hakuba's house, hungry since lunch had been about a little more than half an hour ago. "How am I supposed to cheer up? We had him _right_ there, and he got away." Hakuba grumbled. He was pissed, and his detective pride had been wounded a bit. Of course, he knew from the start that this criminal wouldn't be easy to catch, but still.

"The bloody bastard using transportation magic." He cursed, before his eyes narrowed in concentration. "Wait a minute, his device, it said…," He trailed off, muttering under his breath, while Kaito gave him a raised brow before shrugging it off.

They soon arrived at the Hakuba residence, and ate, spending the rest of the day like any other normal teenager would – hah, would were they kidding? They would never be _completely_ normal. Then again, who really was? After all, a lot of people hide secrets.

ooOOoo

A woman with wavy, platinum blonde hair smirked, the wind blowing around her gently. It was night already, the city below her rumbling with lights and movement despite the late hour. She was suspended in midair, standing on nothing but a black magical triangle, the glow of it a dark purple. In her hand, she held a black staff – her device. She was clothed in black from head to toe.

"Well, well, well. It looks like things are progressing quite nicely." Her voice rang out into the silence.

She looked down at the city with an amused glint in her ice blue eyes. "Cool guy will eventually meet that boy, and that pesky FBI division, and everything will fall into place." Her smirk widened a bit, and she leaned her head on her arm that was resting on her staff. "_They_'ll be taken down, and we'll finally be free; won't that be nice…Sharon?" Her gaze traveled to the purple, slightly large, devil-wing gem connected to the crest of her staff. It glowed when it responded.

"Yes, boss."

**Review Replies: **

**To: KidfishxD – (Laughs) Yes, they will have a somewhat hard time. (Nods) Thanks for reviewing and waiting so long for this chapter. By the way, I love your username. XDD **

**To: Shara Raizel – Thanks. 8D And yup, they'll be in the story a lot. (Nods) I love the Detective Boys, despite so many people not liking them much. XD Thanks for reviewing and waiting so long for this chapter. 8D **

**To: foreverandeveralone – Thank you. ^^ I try hard to make it interesting, but it's hard to and I get confused sometimes with the magical terms, despite putting it together in a way. (Face Palms) (Laughs) **

**To: Tabet (All in one) – Thanks so much~! Sorry for the updating wait. . But, it should update a lot more now. 8D Thanks for reviewing. ^^**

**To: farawisa – Thank you! 8D Sorry for the long wait for the update, but here it is. XD Thank for reviewing. :) **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: (Dramatic Gasp) A new chapter?! No way! Yes, it's a new chapter. You know, maybe I should stop saying that I might get chapters out sooner because I have a habit of putting a new chapter up and then disappearing for a few months. (Sheepish Smile) During summer, I fell into a deep slumber called Laziness. School has done well to awaken me from my sleeping haven, but don't expect fast updates. Well, anyways, I hope this chapter is acceptable. XD Also, Beika and Ekoda, Haido is somewhere in the middle of them, right? Or… Huh. I keep getting confused with the layout of the Detective Conan world. XDDDD Enjoy? ^^**

**Today's Quote: "Friendship…is not something you learn in school. But if you haven't learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven't learned anything." – Muhammad Ali. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Magic Kaito or Detective Conan in any way or form. **

**Warning(s): OCCness, use of magic, AU, shrinking people, confusion between locations, school, and typos. Oh, and epic shortness. XD **

Chapter Six

"Shinichi-niichan!" Three, familiar voices trilled in the morning, waking up one sleeping blue-eyed teen. It was currently twelve in the afternoon. He had overslept due to his body adjusting to the overflowing magic filling him. Shiho hadn't been kidding when she had said she was giving him magic; she had given him enough to go weeks, using extreme amounts of it, without wearing out.

He opened one of his eyes, looking over to the three children huddled around him on his bed. He sighed silently, sitting up slowly with a yawn. "You guys, what is it?" He mumbled curiously.

The three lit up as they realized they had successfully waked him up. "Remember? Today is the day that 'Conan-kun' is able to come to our school for the day." Ayumi reminded, a happy smile on her face. Shinichi blinked as she said this. He had forgotten about that. The kids had a habit of dragging him to school with them on Monday, in his other form, but he supposed Shiho had told them to let him sleep today and just come get him at lunch.

Their teacher, Kobayashi-sensei, was actually very okay with him coming – not even stopping to ponder on truancy, or maybe she had but decided that he was probably in a bad situation; he supposed that was a good thing, though. Shiho had finished school, she had graduated just recently, but he had never gone to school, along with Hattori. Shiho taught them everything she knew, though, so they weren't unknowledgeable.

"Kobayashi-sensei gave us permission to come get you." Mitsuhiko explained.

Shinichi nodded and shifted before getting off his bed, stretching a bit. The children grinned at their accomplishment of getting him to go to school before dashing out of the room and into the living room to wait for him.

Shinichi chuckled after them, grabbing some smaller clothing from the bottom drawer. The cross on his neck started to glow blue as he concentrated, and then the blue engulfed him before going away completely, leaving behind a little boy swimming in large clothes.

Shinichi sighed to himself, starting to roll up his sleeves so he could change into more fitting clothes.

ooOOoo

Heiji looked to the hall as Shinichi's bedroom door opened, a small stature wandering out of it. The familiar smiled to himself before going back to making lunch for Shiho and him. She had suddenly come into the living room, clad in her white lab coat, where he had been relaxing and demanded he make some lunch. Without much to do, he had obliged.

"Oi, Kudou, make sure you're not back before five. Some people are coming to visit." His master looked over to him as he was placing his over-sized glasses on, completing his disguise.

"People?" Shinichi asked, narrowing his eyes. "What type of people?"

Heiji shrugged. "The TSAB. They're doing a wide search based on where you stole last, and around here. Don't know why they decided to choose around here, though, you never stole anything nearby here." Shinichi felt a bead of sweat drop down his cheek, a nervous smile making its way to his lips. It must have been when that blond mage that had almost caught him – probably hearing that his device said 'short distance transfer'.

"Anyways, that one lady told me that they would be coming."

"One lady?"

"Yeah, you know. The one with the platinum blonde hair, and who's always speaking in riddles."

Shinichi sucked in a sharp breath. "You mean Vermouth?" He relaxed slightly. "Well, I suppose that makes sense, considering."

Genta, Ayumi, and Mitsuhiko looked on in confusion, but refrained the best they could from asking unnecessary questions. Shinichi turned to them with a smile after having a whispered conversation with his familiar, and walked over to them. "We should probably go now, so we can make it back in time to eat lunch and then continue classes."

The others nodded brightly and immediately headed for the door in a rush, Ayumi pulling a fondly exasperated, shrunken, Shinichi by hand.

ooOOoo

"Ah, Conan-kun." Kobayashi Sumiko greeted him while he was pulled into the classroom by the others of the little group. "I'm glad you could make it. The kids told me you had a slight fever earlier and that they would go check on you at lunch." She gave him a gentle caring smile that gave him a warm feeling, smiling back at her kind face. Sometimes, it felt like she knew everything, though that was a ridiculous thought.

"Well, I won't hold you. Go eat lunch, the next class starts pretty soon." She dismissed them after writing something on the student attendance sheet.

Genta was the first to cheer, immediately going to his desk to begin eating his bento. He had unagi, no doubt. Shinichi chuckled as he headed to his desk with the others. All their desks were all conveniently next to each other. Ayumi, Mitsuhiko, and Shinichi – now "Conan"; he decided to use his device's name because of lack of creativity – sat down and pulled out their bentos. Heiji had snuck Shinichi's into his kiddy backpack when he wasn't looking.

"Ne, Conan-kun," Ayumi started, long used to calling her older brother figure his alias when he was small. "Yesterday, when you ran off, what happened?" She questioned.

Shinichi looked over to her with a nervous grin. "Nothing really happened…,"

She gave him a childish glare, her lips puffing up into a pout. However, she wasn't the one to speak up. "Don't hide things from us, Conan!" Genta's loud voice rumbled and he spared a moment to glare at the mage before going back to eating.

Shinichi opened his mouth to defend himself, but Mitsuhiko cut him off this time. "Genta-kun's right. Hiding things from us isn't going to do anything. You trust us, don't you?"

They all grinned when Shinichi sighed, knowing they had gotten to him. "Alright, alright." A glance around confirmed no one was listening in. "I almost got caught yesterday. I had forgotten to put up a blockage spell, so someone was able to track me down."

"But, I thought the Magic Police weren't able to use tracking spells." Worry was in Ayumi's every word, showing on her face, too.

"Shiho, err, Shiho-neechan," He correct, trying to keep up his child pretense. "…Told me that the police aren't the only people looking for us; she said there's someone else…," They all quieted down, knowing that that was going to be a problem in the future. They finished lunch, and the rest of the classes went off without a hitch.

ooOOoo

School had just ended and they were on their way home, chatting happily about the new Detective Samonji episode that was coming out that night. They turned onto a different route, heading to Beika station. They took it to Haido, where Shinichi conveniently lived, and where they were going to spend the rest of the day at an arcade.

"Did you call your parents to say that you would be coming home a bit later today?" Shinichi asked them, ever the doting older brother. The three nodded, and he nodded in satisfaction. "Okay, then. The arcades on me." He smiled at the cheers he got into return.

They all turned the corner, and Ayumi let out a surprised yelp when she bumped into a long leg. She rubbed her forehead, looking up shyly at the person she had bumped into. She was met with the face of someone who looked eerily similar to Shinichi.

"Ah, I'm sorry." She mumbled, an embarrassed blush dusting her cheeks as he chuckled, crouching down and offering a hand to help her up. "It's okay." He replied jovially. "It was my fault, too. I was too busy teasing Hakuba here." He gestured with a grin to the blond boy behind him. That comment earned him a scowl from said teen. There was also a teenage girl beside him, holding the blond's hand, with messy brown locks – fully recovered from her cold.

When she was stood up completely, her friends still crowded behind her, she watched as his hands moved quickly and there was suddenly a white rose in his hand. She smiled brightly, her eyes sparkling in awe. He handed it to her and she thanked him enthusiastically.

While all this was happening, no one noticed Shinichi in the back, his face paling slightly at the sight of the mage from yesterday.

**Review Replies: **

**To: KidfishxD – Haha, thank you. XD And your welcome – I hope this update is enough to make up for not updating all summer. (Laughs) And, the whole Black Organization being in the story? I would never. (Innocent Grin) XD Thanks for reviewing~! ^^ **

**To: Shara Raizel – Me too. I always thought they'd make an awesome sibling duo. XD I do ship them as a couple, but I like how they are with just being brother/sister type relationships. Thanks for reviewing~! o^^o **

**To: Tabet – Here's the next chapter~! Sorry for the wait. Thanks for reviewing. ^^ **

**To: Mai-chan63 – Thank you! ^^ Here's the next chapter~! Thanks for reviewing. 8D **

**To: Mokuren no Ken – Haha, thank you. XD Sorry for the chapter wait. Thanks for reviewing~! ^^ **


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Oh. My. Gosh. I had this idea in mind forever, but never got to writing it because I'm a lazy fat ass. Sorry 'bout that. But, here it is. ^^;; After several months… Haha…ha… (Bows Deeply) **

**Today's Quote: "In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins. Not through strength, but through persistence." – Unknown. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Magic Kaito or Detective Conan in any way or form. **

**Warning(s): OOCness, use of magic, AU, typos, shrunken people, and shortness. **

Chapter Seven

_Shinichi blinked slowly, blurry vision clearing. When it cleared, he saw a girl in front of him looking quite proud; she had strawberry blonde hair in a cute short cut, and grayish-blue eyes stared at him from her face. He guessed she was nine or close to that. She was pretty, he thought absently, though the thought was more passing than anything romantic. _

_She extended a hand to him and he took it on instinct, swaying slightly as she helped him stand. She chuckled softly at the display and offered him a smile. "My name is Miyano Shiho. I'm your creator." He was slightly confused at the term creator, but he trusted her judgment._

_He offered a shy smile to her. "Nice to meet you…," His voice was raspy, not used to talking. He would have introduced himself as well, but his mind couldn't provide him with a name._

_Nine-year-old Shiho patted his shoulders, the smile still on her face, "Come on, I want to introduce you to my sister, Akemi! She'll be so proud of me!" She stated, excitement making her voice a pitch higher. Shinichi felt his heart lift in unison; something about this girl's happiness made him happy, too. He wondered briefly if it was because she was his 'creator' but his thoughts were dismissed as he was pulled gently, yet enthusiastically, towards the door of the high-tech lab._

ooOOoo

Shinichi took a step back, reflexively trying to escape the enemy without notice. However, as soon as he had taken the step, the blond mage's eyes had locked onto the movement and Shinichi swore internally. Why, oh why, did they just happen to bump into each other, especially now? They were so close, damn it! A bit more and they would be able to leave; Akemi, Shiho, Heiji, and him. He wanted to protect them, protect them from what happened to the two adult Miyanos; the two he _couldn't save_…

The blond narrowed his eyes at the boy before his attention was drawn to Kaito, who had noticed the look and was starting to scold him playfully, "Look what you did, Hakuba! You're scaring him~!" He crowed, pushing his friend behind him and heading towards the frozen boy who looked torn between running away and staying to protect his friends.

He chuckled good-naturedly at the expression on the boys face – it was too cute; that panicky look as if he was a cat who had just seen a dog (or a Kaito who had just seen a fish). He popped a blue rose into existence and presented it to the frightened boy who was now schooling his face into a mask of perpetual strength. Interesting.

Shinichi gave the rose a suspicious glance before taking it when he got a confused look from Ayumi, who was holding her own rose with caring hands. He couldn't let the kids know that these were the people who were chasing him; they'd make a big deal about it – just because they had gotten better at being subtle, they were still just…themselves – and he didn't want to get them involved with this.

"Er, thanks." He mumbled uncertainly, peering up at Kaito through his lashes, blue eyes darkened with mistrust. He somehow managed to keep from scowling, though. Kaito grinned cheerfully, extending a hand and ruffling the unsuspecting boy's head, earning an indignant squawk and what felt like a tiny, somewhat painful, electrical zap run through his arm. He quickly retrieved his arm to cradle against his chest, though his grin never faded.

Hakuba, however, didn't seem to like the idea that his friend had just come close to getting seriously injured, what with the small mage in front of him. He stepped up, towering over the boy and ignoring the other children who were asking Kaito if he was okay before narrowing his eyes, getting the look returned in full. Shinichi was now smirking up at him like a dangerous snake waiting to strike, unnerving the blond Brit immensely. No child should look so dangerous.

"Who are you?" He questioned cautiously, still standing in front of Kaito and his girlfriend, Aoko, who looked confused as to what was going on. She felt strangely like she was out of the loop of something important. She didn't speak up, though; she felt the strange need to stay quiet.

"Edogawa Conan." Shinichi answered shortly, having no choice but to give up his alias since if he didn't, it would end badly. Hakuba nodded, taking in his small form with his sharp, golden, hawk eyes. "You're in disguise. May I ask why you are?" The taller mage asked and Shinichi was about to answer a rude, 'no, you may not', but Mitsuhiko cut him off.

"Why are you asking Conan that?" The freckled boy had his arms crossed in a gesture that seemed mature. Genta stepped up beside the lanky boy, his arms crossed as well, portly frame making for a much more intimidating stance than Mitsuhiko's. Ayumi stepped up in front of Conan in a mock-gesture that Hakuba had just done with his two companions, hands planted firmly on her hips.

"Conan-kun's done nothing wrong, mister!" She stated haughtily, missing the smile Aoko sent her way. Hakuba blinked, but before he could react, Kaito placed his hand on his friend's shoulder jovially. "It's alright, Hakuba. It didn't hurt much, and I guess I was kind of asking for it when I crossed into his personal space." He laughed lightly, though he was still clutching his arm slightly. Aoko turned her gaze to Kaito, "Are you alright?" He nodded, waving off her worries with his good arm. "I'm fine, Ahoko~!" He grinned. "Blue today, huh?"

The young woman blinked in confusion before her face became red with anger and embarrassment, features twisting up in rage. She lifted a clenched fist, swinging swiftly at Kaito who dodged with a Cheshire grin, making Hakuba roll his eyes at the display before turning back to interrogate the boy and his friends some more; he had a feeling they knew more than others.

Except they were already gone.

ooOOoo

A knock on the door signaled that the TSAB was here at last. They had been waiting anxiously all day and Shiho was glad they would just be able to get it over with. She went over to the door, peeking through the hole and seeing two agents before pulling open the door with her usual calm and cool air. "Can I help you?" She asked, politely distant.

The boyish girl was the first to answer, "We just have to do a search of your property; it's standard." She said, grinning almost apologetically, flashing her badge. The girl beside her, long brown hair tied in a ponytail, nodded in agreement. Shiho immediately spotted their devices on their persons, waiting to be used on call, and warily stepped back and opened the door further. "That's fine; come on in."

The three girls walked into the living room, making Heiji flick his head up, one wolf ear tilting towards them, drawn by the sound. He blinked at the people, analyzing them with a critical eye, though he paused for a second longer on the girl with longer hair before he moved his gaze away, light blush not showing on his cheeks due to his dark skin.

"I'll go check the bedrooms." The taller, boyish, girl stated, turning and walking towards the rooms. The other nodded, "Okay; don't take too long, Sera-chan. There are lots of other houses we still need to check." Sera merely waved her hand carelessly, stepping into the first room, Shiho watching her sharply. Heiji sensed her distress and stood up, tail flicking freely as he stretched, trying to look normal.

"Are you her familiar?" The pretty girl was addressing him and he felt his heart pause before starting up at a faster pace. He cleared his throat. He didn't really like the idea of ever being Shiho's familiar; he liked being Shinichi's, thank you very much, and no matter that he was _kind of_ Shiho's familiar due to his master's relationship with the scientist, he didn't want to actually admit it out loud. He would never live it down, but he swallowed thickly before replying, "Yeah."

He caught the Miyano's glittering teal eyes staring at him in amusement and internally groaned. _Greaaatt_. The girl nodded before turning and extending her hand toward Shiho. "My name is Toyama Kazuha, commissioner for the Time-Space Administration Bureau." She smiled sweetly as Shiho grasped her hand in a relaxed shake. "Miyano Shiho." The strawberry blonde introduced smoothly, mouth twitching into something resembling a smile, though it was too small to count as one.

Kazuha turned to the familiar and smiled at him, offering a hand. "And you are?" Heiji felt another blush crawl up his face and he took her hand in his firmly, "Hattori Heiji; nice to meet you." A minute after he said his name, he froze in remembrance. The last girl had heard his name. Judging by the lack of reaction, though, he noted, it seemed like she hadn't told anyone yet. Strange. He let go of the TSAB's mage's hand and his ears twitched self consciously before he decided to head to the kitchen to cook, even though they had just eaten. Anything was better than the awkward silence passing between the other room's occupants.

ooOOoo

"Well…," Shinichi panted, wiping sweat from his forward with his sleeve. "It looks like we lost them." He grinned slightly, amusement making his eyes turn a shade of sky blue as he turned to the three other kids. Ayumi was bent over, hands braced on her knees as she tried to catch her breath and Genta and Mitsuhiko were in similar positions.

He sucked in a deep breath before sighing heavily, "You guys still up for the arcade?" He asked, hands shoving into his pockets. The kids blinked, not catching how he was trying to distract them from the obvious run in with the law, and happy smiles appeared on their faces as they cheered together, "Yeah~!"

He nodded, and tilted his head in a direction before saying, "Come on, we still have plenty of time to play games." The kids followed him, chattering amongst each other about what they would play and already making bets on who would win what. Shinichi hid his expression carefully. He'd have to discuss this with Shiho later. Perhaps this area was getting too dangerous to stay at…

**Review Replies:**

**To: foreverandeveralone – Haha, I'm glad you like this story. ^^ Thanks for your review~! **

**To: Mai-chan63 – Sorry it took so long for the next chapter, but here it is. XD;; (super late, but… *chuckles sheepishly*)**

**To: Mokuren no Ken – Yup, finally a meeting, though nothing much happened. (Sheepish Laugh) XD **

**To: Kudo Shinichi Tanteisan – It had been, hadn't it? ^^ That's good, I'm glad I could help; you're welcome. XD; lol, that's alright; I don't understand the rules either, I'm just making it up as I go and trying to make sense of the garbled-ness that is DC and LMN all in one. (Laughs) (Grins as snowflakes fall and eats cyber cookie) Thank you~!**

**To: ElementistMagicAkua – Ah, really? 8D I'm glad that I inspired you. I personally love the show, so I hope you liked it, as well. X3 Whoo! Halfway through StrikerS, huh? I haven't made it that far. I always stop watching whenever I make it to StrickerS, lol. I don't know why. XD;; Here's the next chapter~! **

**To: kaishinforever – Thank you~! Don't worry, I'll follow through with it; it's just taking it's sweet time since my brain is lagging on this story, for some reason, lol. F-fall in love with this story? (Seriously Flattered) Thank you so much! 8D and it's okay, you're English is very good. ^^ **

**To: Shara Raizel – Me too. XDD Older-brother Shinichi will be making several more appearances scattered throughout the story, since I love it so much, lol. XD **

**To: KidfishxD – Haha, yes, evil cliffies. XD I tend to do that a lot, lol; bad habit, or something. Thank you~ and here's the update~! Lol, it was unexpected for me, too. I was writing and before I knew it, it had somehow sneaked into the story because it was a passing thought. XD Ah, the KaiShin part. (Winces) It might take a while to develop a romantic relationship, but it'll get there eventually. I'm horrible at romance, so, yeah.. I have to mentally prepare myself before jumping into that part of the story, lol. XDDD **

**To: nobody – Thank you~! Me too. XD **

**To: SakuraKoi – Here ya go~! **

**-Ah, so much reviews~! I love you, everyone! All of you just reading the story, too! *hearts* Sorry for being such a jerk with updating. TT_TT (Sprinkles You All With Happiness) **


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Out sooner than I expected, but quite happy with the outcome. XD (Presents you happily with the story) Enjoy! 8D Also, _Doubt and Trust_ by access is definitely the theme song I have chosen for this fic. XD  
><strong>

**Today's Quote: "A sister is someone who knows everything about you and loves you anyways." – Unknown. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Magic Kaito or Detective Conan in any way or form.**

**Warning(s): OOCness, use of magic, AU, typos, bromance, sibling closeness, and shortness. **

Chapter Eight

Hakuba, Kaito, and Aoko had long headed home, Aoko going her separate way – giving Hakuba a peck on the lips before she disappeared around the corner – and Kaito had tried to go home alone, but Hakuba had taken to following him there. Once they were both inside his house, Kaito turned to his friend in exasperation. "What is it, Hakuba?" He asked and his question was immediately answered when the blond's eyes stared pointedly at his arm.

"I'm _fine_~!" Kaito's tone took on a whining quality, but Hakuba ignored it and grabbed the wild-haired teen's arm, making him wince. A shallow smirk adorned the blond's lips as he retorted, "You don't _seem_ fine."

Kaito grimaced as his friend prodded his arm a bit more before the mage sighed, his hands beginning to glow a light green; making the pain that still tingled like electricity in Kaito's arm disappear slowly.

ooOOoo

Shinichi sighed, opening the door to their – his, Heiji, and Shiho's – apartment, walking in and shutting the door behind him with a frown. It was around eight; he had just finished walking all the kids home. Heiji was the first to realize his return, coming over and greeting him with a big grin. He absently thought it looked kind of…strange – a quirk in his lips that was a bit different than usual. He brushed off the thought as his familiar began speaking to him, "Oi, Kudou! How was school?" The dark-skinned teen began, pulling a blanket from the top shelf of a closet before dropping it on top of his currently-tiny master.

Shinichi made a face underneath the blanket before he slipped it off his head so that it could rest on his shoulders. "It was okay, the usual. How was your day?" He questioned, beginning to walk to the living room, blanket trailing like a regal cape. Heiji was quick to follow, tail swaying slightly behind him in happiness.

"It was good – we made it through the check without any problems~!" Shinichi's lips quirked into a smirk at that. "'Sides, even if they had figured out, it was only two girl mages, and I bet Miyano and I could've taken them!" Heiji bumped his chest proudly and the tiny mage sent him a curious, knowing, side glance that the familiar missed.

Shinichi made a noncommittal noise in return and looked up at Shiho as she exited a room down the hall. Her teal eyes focused on him, smile creeping on her lips. "Welcome home." She nodded to him and he flashed a smile back in return before the woman turned and disappeared back into the room she had claimed as her lab.

"Has she been working on the cartridges all day?" Shinichi asked, slight worry coloring his tone as he began stripping his clothes, making Heiji look away.

"Nah, she hasn't. She came out earlier to demand lunch before going to work on them again. She came back out to eat, though." Heiji answered and a blue glow brightened for a moment before disappearing and he turned back around.

"That's good. She has a tendency to forget to eat when she's too busy." Shinichi grumbled a bit, his original form covered modestly with the blanket. Heiji snickered, "Yeah, reminds me of someone I know." The blue-eyed teen rolled his eyes, though they glimmered with amusement.

Heiji took a seat next to Shinichi, pulling the mage into a comforting side-hug that the usually distant teen leaned into. "You seem worried." Heiji informed and the boy he was holding sighed gently, turning his face into Heiji's shoulder and seemingly trying to smother himself with it. "I ran into that damn mage again; the blond one." His words were muffled but his 'pillow' heard them clearly, making a growl escape his throat.

"That guy is really starting to annoy me!" The familiar's fluffy tail curled behind Shinichi, slightly pulling him closer, making the fair-skinned teen chuckle at the protectiveness.

"Next time he shows up, just tell me and I'll take care of him!" Shinichi's lips formed a weary smirk, nodding his okay. "Alright, I'll be sure to do that." His familiar seemed pleased with his answer and his grip loosened a bit.

"By the way," Shinichi took his face out of Heiji's shoulder, piercing him with his cerulean eyes. "What's made you so happy today?" The teasing tone was evident and Heiji spluttered, cheeks turning a dark pink. The tense atmosphere that had been there before suddenly disappeared as Heiji began to defend himself.

ooOOoo

"Dai-kun, what did they say?" Miyano Akemi questioned once the two were far enough from the building her boyfriend had just exited. Moroboshi Dai stood beside her, arm firmly around her waist as he looked ahead with his usual gloomy face. His jade eyes flickered over to her, seeing her face covered with curiousness and some concern.

"They said I'll be working with your sister and her small magic-collecting group for now." He intoned and Akemi's face lit up with a smile. "At first I was going to be working with a man named Gin, but he already had a partner, apparently." Akemi nodded, blue eyes knowing; her sister had told her about a man with the codename Gin and his partner, Vodka.

"I'm glad that you'll be working with Shiho-chan. I'm sure Heiji-kun and Shinichi-kun will accept you right in, too." She happily stated, leaning into her lover. She looked up at his face once again, seeing him with a thoughtful expression.

He didn't seem to catch the slight sad look that entered her eyes before it vanished to be replaced with affection.

"Anyways, I should get going. I have work in the morning and you have to work with Shinichi-kun tomorrow." She giggled, standing on her tiptoes to press a chaste peck on his lips and twirling around, leaving calmly to her car. He watched her pull out of her park and then watched as her car disappeared down the road. He sighed to himself before getting into his truck and driving to his current apartment.

Once inside, he opened his phone, dialing a number by heart. Placing the cell phone to his ear, he didn't even bother to speak a greeting before he informed, "Seems we're right. _They're_ behind the recent attacks…," A sharp smirk adorned the man's lips as he continued his reporting.

ooOOoo

Shinichi stood up from the couch, blanket still covering him, bidding Heiji a mumbled goodnight. He had almost fell asleep on his poor familiar, though said familiar hadn't minded and would have just moved him to his bed, either way; still, Shinichi didn't want to be treated as a kid.

Once in his room, he changed into a pair of pajamas and flopped onto his bed quite ungracefully, not bothering to pull the cover onto himself. He internally berated himself as he thought of what happened earlier. He hurt a _human_; not a mage or any type of magic user, just a normal person who happened to be friends with that damn mage.

He sighed, hiding his face inside his pillow. He had acted on instinct; the boy had been with the mage when he had been chasing him and he immediately _assumed. _Of course, he had noticed a bit later that the teen hadn't been a mage himself, but he still reacted when the boy had touched him – had sent a spark of defensive magic through the boy's body without a conscious thought. He'd just reacted and he was sorely regretting it now; he hoped the boy was doing okay – it wasn't exactly a painless shock, after all. If he ever saw the teen again – Kaito, was it? – without the blond mage, he'd be sure to apologize.

He was sure that the boy knew of magic, since he seemed to understand what was going on in the confrontation earlier. The girl, however, was a different story, even though she was obviously dating the blond. Shinichi smirked; well, well, now he had something on the mage if he bothered him some more. Shinichi was cut out of his musings as his door opened and he turned onto his side to see Shiho entering his room, the lab coat finally not in her attire. Seems she was retiring for tonight after she left.

"Akemi called me," She started softly, coming to sit on his bed and he shifted so he was on his back. Her palm rested on his forehead, brushing his bangs away. "She told me that her boyfriend, Moroboshi Dai, will be coming to work with us."

Shinichi's eyes slipped shut, "Oh?" He didn't sound too thrilled at the idea; he knew Shiho wasn't either – she never did like Dai, fearing he would hurt her sister in one way or another.

Shiho chuckled, removing her hand and pulling the sheet from underneath him – quite roughly, ignoring his irritated huff; honestly, he could be such a child sometimes, no matter his protests – and covering him with it. He peeked open one blue eye as she stood up again and she smirked down at him. "It's the organization's orders, so you'll have to deal with it."

He stared for a moment longer, eyes seeing right through her cool exterior, before it slid shut once more. "We'll see." A small silence ensued before Shinichi spoke up again.

"Shiho, I think we need to move…," He informed. "It's getting too dangerous here. With that mage, and the TSAB, and…just everything, I guess." Shinichi said, avoiding what was really bothering him. Shiho looked down at him and smirked. "It wouldn't be because the kids almost got involved, is it?" She teased before adding, "They'd be sad if you left, you know."

Shinichi's cheeks flooded with heat, a pink color bringing color to his pale face as he turned his head away in embarrassment. "Of course not, stupid woman…," He mumbled, putting all his focus in ignoring the mage beside him.

Shiho sighed in amusement before leaving the room and shutting the door behind her, adorning her lab coat once more. Pausing at Heiji's room for a moment, checking to see if he was asleep yet – the soft snores from beyond the door were information enough – and then heading back to her lab, turning off the light in the hallway and the apartment descended into darkness, save for the small glow underneath the lab's doorway.

**Review Replies:**

**To: Shara Raizel – lol, yup~! o^^o I think Heiji having a crush is too adorable to pass up. XD And here's the next one – I'm surprised it's up so soon, but pleased. Lol. XD **

**To: Sakura Koi – Thank you~! And I'll try my best. 8D **

**To: Mokuren no Ken – Yeah, I think the kids are adorable. XD Shinichi shocked him cause he was startled and defensive around Hakuba. Sorry if that was confusing. XD (My explaining skills are bad, lol.) **

**To: KidfishxD – lol, yup, update! 8D And I know what you mean. (Nods) I'm trying to keep it slow-ish, but I feel like it's going horrible sluggish, lol. XD Ah, Shinichi's parents~! They're too awesome, so I would never be able to leave them out. XD They will definitely be involved eventually. (Grins) Here's the update~! ^^**

**To: BladeNite – Here's the update~! ^^ **


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Well, I should have wrote this a while ago, since I was gonna try to update weekly (Sorry, Sakura Koi!) but, yeah… (Face Palm) We all see how that worked out. Truthfully, I didn't think so much time had passed, but it's already the 30****th**** and I updated last on the 15****th****. I think I need to fix my internal clock. Oh, how I could use a Hakuba~! (Laughs)  
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**Today's Quote: "A wise man is superior to any insults which can be put upon him, and the best reply to unseemly behavior is patience and moderation." – Moliere. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Magic Kaito or Detective Conan in any way or form. **

**Warning(s): OOCness, use of magic, AU, typos, shortness, and teasing~!**

Chapter Nine

_He shivered as he lay there; helpless and cold. His prone form curled into itself as the rain pattered onto him, soaking through his fur and stinging painfully on the wounds covering his whole body. His small chest heaved for breath, tongue lolling out of the side of his mouth, blood pooling around his muzzle. His unusually colored eyes glanced around, only seeing the grey sky above him. He tried to shift, body scrapping roughly against the cement beneath him. _

_He whimpered at the pain that racked through him, immediately freezing to ease the pain. His dark lashes kept the rain from coming into his eyes and if he could cry, he would be right now. His whole world had slipped from under him the day that man had come and found him and his family with that glinting barrel of smoke and fire that shot out projectiles that pierced flesh easily…_

_Suddenly the color of purple covered the sky, the rain stopping its falling to hit the cover and slid down the sides of it harmlessly, missing his body as he was covered completely by the thing. His eyes flicked up to meet a pair of curious and worried cerulean ones framed by a small face._

ooOOoo

"I'm Moroboshi Dai. Nice to meet you." Dai held out his hand, only to retract it back into his pocket smoothly after a few minutes of staring. Blue eyes narrowed at the movement before the fair-skinned teen introduced himself. "Kudou Shinichi." The lack of 'nice to meet you, too' was noticed by the other occupants of the living room, making Heiji shift somewhat uncomfortably.

"Uh, I'm Hattori Heiji; Shinichi's familiar. Nice to meet ya." Heiji and Dai shook hands firmly, much to Shinichi's annoyance, judging by the glare that Heiji got when said familiar returned to his side.

"Anyways," Shiho's voice cut through the tension like a knife; sharp and unaffected. "You three should get to work now. Akemi will be stopping by after her shift, so make sure you're back by five." Her tone held no room for question and soon the three males were heading out the door, bidding their goodbyes to the only woman of the household.

Once outside, the three of them headed to a bus station and waited for not even ten minutes before boarding the bus, coins clinking as they were dropped in the collector. Heiji and Shinichi sat next to each other, while Dai took the seat in front of them. The bus rumbled to life as it started again.

"Hey, Kudou, what's wrong with ya? Is there something wrong with Moroboshi?" Cerulean eyes glanced over to curious green-blue ones. Shinichi leaned in closer to whisper in Heiji's ear, "His name." Heiji blinked. "What about his name?"

Shinichi's eyes hardened to ice chips as he stared at the back of Dai's head. "It's fake."

ooOOoo

Lunchtime had come and Heiji desperately just wanted to disappear from their table. Shinichi and Dai were practically having a stare match while they waited for their food. Heiji shifted closer to the wall beside him, trying to put some space between him and his master. Shinichi was practically giving off waves of suspicion.

It didn't help when the other on the end was just smirking back at Shinichi, either.

Really, Heiji thought while they finally broke off when their food arrived, Dai seemed to have fun making Shinichi twitch. All morning, after the bus ride, the day had consisted of the two going toe-to-toe somewhat inconspicuously. They never did it up and front, but instead displayed it only in glances and actions. It was putting a damper on the companionship that they should be having since they would be working together.

Heiji shook his head before looking down at his hamburger. Hi ears twitched under his Sax hat and he wished to remove it, but squashed the urge. He could always disguise himself so his ears could be free, but he didn't like to. It made him feel…weird. Like he was wearing someone else's skin; not a feeling he thought was pleasant.

He sighed as he grabbed his burger, looking up to see Dai send another smirk at Shinichi as he took a sip of his drink only to get another cold glare.

This was gonna be a long day.

ooOOoo

"So…, that familiar from yesterday was pretty cute, huh?" Sera brought up casually while they were eating lunch. Kazuha almost choked on her baby tomato. "W-What?" She squeaked, only to regret it a second later when the mage in front of her grinned in a knowing way.

"How'd you know who I was talking about, Kazuha-chan? I only said 'familiar'." She pointed out quite smugly. Kazuha swallowed her food thickly, cheeks a faint pink. She gave a small huff, looking back to her bento. "No reason." She mumbled as she toyed with her food a bit before popping a piece of meat into her mouth.

"Really?" Sera teased, grin growing a bit. "I believe the first image that came to mind was that one familiar from that one house; you know, the tall, dark and handsome one with wolf features." She laughed at the irritated glare that she received from the Aikido practitioner.

"That wasn't it. I was just thinking that that was a random question, is all." Kazuha stated. Obviously in denial, Sera noted with no little amount of amusement.

"Surreee."

"It's true!"

"Uh-huh, whatever. You know, he seemed to like you, if the blush on his face when he led you to the door meant anything." She pointed out and Kazuha's receded blush came back again. "Oh, come on, Masumi-chan. We don't even know each other, we're practically strangers." Sera pouted at the logical reason before she remembered a book on familiars she had read.

"They _do_ say that familiars immediately fall for their soul mates when they meet them." She looked up at her friend as the girl spluttered in shock again, almost choking once more, before swallowing. Her face was a bright red, looking oddly like the baby tomato that she had eaten earlier.

"M-Masumi-chan!"

Sera just laughed.

ooOOoo

"Well, that went smoothly." Dai commented with a hint of interest as he watched Shinichi lower the man in his early thirties to the ground. It was almost five and they finally got their first bit of stolen magic. The man had put up a fight, but it was quickly diffused by the three of them. The man stood no chance with Heiji's binding and two different attacks coming from the back and front at the same time. His protection had come up only to be cracked easily.

The man's device flashed for a brief moment before glowing a dark green and then reappearing as its small form. Shinichi looked over to the chipped and almost broken device before standing up, eyes still cold. He turned to Dai with a deadpanned look. "Of course. We've been doing this for a while, unlike you." His tone was casual, but the insult was definitely there.

Dai frowned lightly, "You know, I still don't know why you hate me so much." His smirk came back a second later as Shinichi sighed and Heiji awkwardly tried to become one with the wall, tail flicking in discomfort.

"I don't hate you." Shinichi informed him with a matter-of-fact voice. And it was true; hate and distrust were two very different things, after all. "Besides, we should probably head back. Miyano told us to be back by five, remember?" With that, he changed out of his barrier jacket and Conan went back to his smaller form in a burst of dark blue. The silver cross was put back onto his neck and the tiny barrier they had put up disappeared as Shinichi headed out of the alley and back into the flood of people wandering around the city.

Heiji hurried to put his hat back on and stuff his tail back into his loose cargo pants – so very, very uncomfortable to do so, but he had to – and ran to hurry to catch up with his master. Dai stayed there for a moment, changing back out of his own barrier jacket with a burst of dark red, and then headed out calmly to the two teens already far ahead of him. He smirked as he stared at their backs.

What interesting teens.

**Review Replies:**

**To: Shara Raizel – Yay~! I'm glad you liked it. ^^ I also like having them so friendly. I always thought they would be good friends, if they put their differences aside. XD And Heiji and Shinichi's friendship is always something I love to write. (Laughs) Here's the update~! More Dai 'screen' time. XD **

**To: Kidfishx3 – Yup~! Early update~! (Cheers) This one didn't get up as soon as the other time, but oh well. (Shrugs) And maybe~! (Grins) I agree with the trouble part, though. XDDD Here's the update~!**

**To: Mokuren no Ken – (Laughs) I know what you mean! (Nods) Cliffhangers are fun to read and all and build up suspense, but then it's like, "gah! I want to know!". XDDD Here's the next chapter~! And I agree. XD I always thought the parts with him and Kazuha so obviously crushing were amusing and cute – especially in the Hattori Heiji's Desperate Crisis episode. (Snickers) And yay! I'm glad you like my mage!Shinichi~! 8DD**

**To: MagicMilkbone – Yay~! I'm glad you like it~! 8D (Snickers) It's funny you bring that up, actually…XD And thank you~! I try hard to make it somewhat make sense – with some LMG references and my own twists – but it's kind of hard. (Laughs) **

**To: RawrxSushi – Ah, sorry. Is it too confusing? I have a feeling I'm explaining horribly. XD And yup, there's some Nanoha references. (Nods) Haha, me too. XD I always stop at StrikerS. Shinichi being the bad guy has always intrigued me, so I'm glad I conveyed him well enough and yeah, I laughed so hard when I imagined his with ears and a tail… (Snickers) Too cute. X3 Yay~! I'm glad you like the small Kazuha and Heiji moment~! My sister mentioned the same thing when she read this story. (Laughs) When I reread it, I noticed the same thing. XD (Face Palm) But, it planted an idea in my mind, so there'll be something about that later. XDD Here's the update~!**

**-In the last chapter, Kazuha called Sera 'Sera-chan', but I changed it, since she calls Kazuha her first name and Sera's first name is Masumi. XD;  
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	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Yay! Double digits! I somehow feel accomplished. (Snickers) I had first thought this was late, but I was wrong because my notes say it was due today…well, yesterday, but I haven't gone to sleep yet, so… Also, it's snowing outside! So pretty! (Stares Out The Window) Hope you enjoy this chapter! Yet another character introduction. XD **

**Today's Quote: "We all live in the protection of certain cowardices which we call our principles." – Mark Twain. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Magic Kaito or Detective Conan in any way or form. (or shape, for you dear sister. XD)**

**Warning(s): OOCness, use of magic, some angst (?), childish behavior, typos, and spells…(Grins)**

Chapter Ten

"Dai-kun!" Akemi greeted brightly, pecking the gloomy man on the lips before stepping back again. Spotting the two teens behind him, she swept them up in a short group hug, kissing their foreheads caringly. "Shinichi-kun, Heiji-kun – you've both grown so much!" She giggled lightly as she once again retreated to her sister's side, who was looking on in amusement as Shinichi and Heiji tensed faintly at the familiar gestures. Shinichi gave out a somewhat awkward cough into his hand before his expression changed from impassive to a kind smile.

"Akemi-san, it's been a while." His tone was soft and gentle – a voice he rarely used nowadays and Shiho relaxed at that; having Akemi over seemed like a good idea, after all. Akemi gave him her own sisterly smile, "It has been. It's nice to see you again, even under such circumstances."

"Don't worry, nee-chan! It's just nice to see a friendly face again! All I've been seeing today has been these two glaring bullets at each other." Heiji grinned jovially, waving his hand to reassure the woman who chuckled a bit. Shiho sighed beside her sister, "Seriously, Kudou-kun. You don't get along with anyone other than Hattori-kun. You need friends." She smirked as said boy spluttered in surprise. "Miyano!" He almost whined. Shiho chuckled, shaking her head.

"Why are you being rude to Moroboshi-kun?" She questioned, raising a delicate brow.

Shinichi looked to the side, composing himself once more. "No reason, he's just a disagreeable person, I guess." He shrugged one shoulder, making Dai smirk a bit and Akemi give a small laugh. She had figured that Shinichi wouldn't get along with Dai for several reasons, the most prominent one being that…

"Nah, I think Moroboshi's an alright guy!" Heiji clapped a hand on Dai's shoulder roughly, playfully. "I'm sure it's just Kudou who's the disagreeable one."

The glare he got from his master was worth making the tense atmosphere disappear, he decided. Looking back into the glare though, he couldn't help but wonder if it was.

ooOOoo

Kaito groaned, tightening his grip on the slipping bags as they threatened to fall onto the floor. Aoko would _kill_ him if he allowed them to drop, especially since the things he was currently carrying were _hers_. He tried to ignore his imagination of revenge that included a…finny thing. He shuddered at the unwanted image.

"Aoko~!" He whined, grabbing the attention of the girl peering through a rack of clothes. "How much clothes do you need to buy? My arms are gonna fall off~!" Because, of course, like the gentleman he was, he was the one stuck carrying the purchases.

"Oh, come on, Kaito! It isn't that bad! I just have to get a few more shirts, and then we can go and get ice cream, okay?" She smiled sweetly at him and resumed shuffling through the clothes. Kaito sighed at the notion of a few more shirts, but agreed. He could never deny ice cream; a weakness of his.

"By the way," Kaito blinked, looking up to see a concerned look on Aoko's face. "Where do you think Saguru went? He was in a hurry." Kaito bit his lip, but kept his emotions under control for the most part. Truthfully, he didn't know as well and was just as worried. The blond teen had been in detective-mode and Kaito knew that always meant no good. Either his friend was on the trail of a dangerous criminal or was about to be; or he was just following up on the case with the magic-stealer, which was just the same as the first one he mentioned.

Sometimes, he really disliked having a detective as a friend. They seemed to completely disregard their own safety because of confidence. Not like he wasn't the same, but…

"I don't know, but I'm sure he'll be fine~!" Kaito grinned cheerfully, moving forward to begin looking through the clothes, too. The bags swayed lightly on his forearms as he reviewed a couple shirts with a critical eye. He absently handed a shirt to Aoko, who blinked before taking the shirt, and putting it in her 'try on' pile.

"After all, there's only so much trouble he can get into. Nothing that bad has happened recently, so I'm sure it's not a case." He assured, handing her another shirt that was a pure white with a nice flowery border for the collar, that was a lace strung together elegantly until it reached the part where her chest would be. Aoko raised a brow before taking it, deciding she didn't want to know why Kaito actually had a good taste in girl clothes. After all, her friend has always been strange in many ways.

"That's not true! Aoko heard from Tou-chan that there have been random attacks lately!" She huffed, finally deciding that she had enough to try on and heading for the changing area, Kaito following close behind, lugging the bags with him.

"Well…I'm sure he isn't interested in that case." A drop of sweat ran down Kaito's cheek. She was really close to the truth…

Aoko turned to him, a hesitant look in her eyes. "I know, but… Aoko's worried. Saguru seems to be hiding something." Pokerface slammed into place in an instant, making Kaito appear normal. He should have expected this, considering Aoko was the daughter of an inspector – sure, he was kind of hacky and lame, but he _was _an inspector, after all. He got there with hard work, dedication, and obviously needed brains to get to that position despite what many thought of him being slow-witted.

"Hiding something? What could he be hiding?" He asked smoothly and watched with no little anxiousness as Aoko's bangs covered her eyes with a shadow as she bowed her head. "Aoko doesn't know, but he definitely is. Aoko can see it when he randomly runs off with an excuse and talks to strange people. Like yesterday. That was weird and then when Aoko asked later, he said it was nothing." Her voice was beginning to crack and Kaito feared she would begin crying.

A helpless laugh as the girl's hand came up to wipe her eyes that were slightly damp. "Look at Aoko, worrying about things like this…," She mumbled, trying to smile and failing miserably.

Kaito brought his hand up, popping up a yellow flower into existence. Aoko blinked before taking the flower and drawing it close, a shaking yet sincere smile coming onto her lips. "Don't worry so much. I'm sure he'll tell you in due time. He probably just doesn't want you to freak out about it, right? He's the type to keep things to himself until he's sure that he'll be excepted. Self-conscious idiot." He patted her head gently.

Aoko looked up at him, remembering something. "That's right. He told you, didn't he? You know, when you guys were…," She seemed kind of uncomfortable to bring up the subject. "…going out." She finished finally.

Kaito laughed awkwardly, hand coming up to scratch his faintly pink cheek. "Yeah, he told me. But, I can't tell you, he'll tell you in due time himself." Aoko nodded, smiling at her friend's awkwardness. "Okay, Aoko trusts Kaito." Because she knew that even though her best friend had dated her current boyfriend before, they wouldn't do anything behind her back. They were only friends now, although it seems that their dating had made their friendship closer than most. She had always wondered why they broke up, but never had the heart to ask, since Kaito was so hesitant and uncomfortable when talking about it.

"Good!" Kaito grinned, steering and pushing her gently into a changing stall. "Now hurry and try those things on, I want to go get my ice cream soon~!" Rolling her eyes, she complied, closing the door and locking it.

Kaito sighed in relief, moving out of the woman's changing room place as he got a glare from an older woman. She was so close. Perhaps he could get Saguru to tell her sooner? It would surely make things a lot easier if she knew.

Sorry Aoko, he thought as he took a seat on a nearby waiting bench. I can't tell you myself.

ooOOoo

"Sorry, Hakuba-kun, did you wait long?" Kazuha apologized as her and Sera arrived in the room that Hakuba was in. It was bare, save for the chairs and table in the center; an interrogation room, though it was brighter and more welcoming than other ones. For people who were willing to give information, obviously.

"No, I didn't. Nice to see you again, Toyama-san." He greeted, flashing a charming smile. "Who's your friend?" He questioned curiously as he eyed Sera. Kazuha giggled, "You, too. It's been about four years, right? And this is Sera Masumi. She started not long after you left." She gestured to the girl beside her, who flashed a toothy grin.

"I see." He nodded and the girl's took their seats on the other side of the table. They got to business soon after the casual meeting. "So, what have you got for us, Hakuba-kun?" Kazuha asked, eyes intense; this was her first case being in charge, after all, and she was determined to get to the bottom of it.

"I actually got quite a bit of information from Mouri Ran, the latest victim." He took his small notebook out of his pocket, flipping to the correct page before sliding it across the table so the other mages could look at it. The two peered down at the long list of notes and small details that Hakuba had deemed important. They looked over them all carefully before Kazuha nodded, taking the notebook and closing it.

"We'll have to take this for further reference." Hakuba nodded with a soundless sigh. He had figured as much, but that notebook was important for his detective work. "That's quite alright. Either way, I should leave. I have to get home soon." Because Aoko and Kaito would probably head over there sooner or later in the day, just to check in with him because of how he rushed off earlier. He reflected back on his mindless actions with another sigh before he got up and left out the door.

Sera looked over to Kazuha with a curious glint in her eyes. "What's wrong, Kazuha-chan?"

"Ah, nothing." Kazuha looked up from the table, bright expression on her face. "It's just…Mouri-san said that the familiar's name was Hattori…," Her brightness dropped as nervousness quelled in her. She tried to crush the feelings, though. She shouldn't care this much about the guy already! Just met, she reminded herself with a frown.

Sera laughed carelessly. "Don't worry – that Hattori familiar we met had no association with a Kudou, remember? His master's name was Miyano Shiho." Kazuha felt a spark of hope at the logical reasoning. "True…Perhaps we should go ask Mouri-san what the familiar looked like? Then, we can clear him." Or incriminate him, but she carefully left out that detail with vigor.

"Yeah! I'm sure he'll be clean. We'll have to wait a week, though. Remember, the doctor's says that we TSAB agents can't talk to her until she's admitted out of the hospital." Sera agreed, grumbling a bit in annoyance at the end of her sentence. Really, it wasn't like they were going to harass the girl or something.

"Okay, we'll do that." Kazuha smiled and they both left, getting back to work. She couldn't help but feel somewhat hesitant of checking, though. She had a feeling she wouldn't like the results…

ooOOoo

"Hattori, you eat too much." Shinichi grouched, stealing a piece of chicken from his familiar's plate as Heiji's own chopsticks reached for it. "Hey!" Heiji complained, watching as Shinichi teasingly placed the food in his mouth and chew with a smirk. Apparently, Shinichi's thought of revenge included messing with Heiji's food intake.

Dai chuckled deeply, earning a suspicious glare from the chewing, blue-eyed teen and making Heiji pout. _His food…_

"Now, Shinichi-kun, don't be mean to Heiji-kun. He was only stating the truth earlier." Akemi soothed, though she had a twinkling sparkle in her eyes that gave her away. "See, Kudou, she agrees." Heiji flashed the shorter male a smug grin only to regret it a second later when two pieces of meat disappeared from his plate with amazing speed and ending up in someone else's mouth. Namely one Kudou Shinichi's.

"Oi!"

Heiji's chopsticks dived towards Shinichi's plate, hoping to take what the other had taken from his plate, before they were stopped by another pair of chopsticks pinching his hand, making his yelp. Another pained yelp indicated that Shinichi's hand had also been pinched. Both looked up to see Shiho, looking relatively calm but her eyebrow was twitching in irritation.

"If you two are done acting like children…," She ignored both protests. "Can we continue eating, please?" She smiled, pleased, as she got two mumbled affirmatives.

Akemi giggled a bit and Shiho felt a tiny smile twitch on her own lips. It almost felt like they were a family again, even though there was one more addition this time. She glanced at Dai, who was calmly eating his food, and analyzed him for moment before nodding to herself. She supposed he was okay, as long as he protected her sister. She would have to confront him about that later, actually.

Sure enough, after dinner found Shiho and Dai standing outside. Akemi had left a moment ago, and Shinichi and Heiji were inside, getting ready for bed. They were alone. She crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes sharply at the man before her.

"Look, I don't like you, but I will put up with you for my sister."

"Well, how kind of you." Dai replied, making her frown deeply. She didn't like the way that sounded.

"I want you to promise me something. No matter what, protect my sister, okay?" She eyed him as he paused for a moment, coming up with a reply. Finally, he turned away, long air swishing with the movement, before he turned his head and gave her a smile.

"Don't worry. I'll protect her with my life."

With that said, he walked away towards his truck, leaving Shiho on the porch, uncertain of whether or not to believe him.

ooOOoo

"O the Realm of Hell…Ye who dominate in tenebrosity…Bring me power." The voice lilted off the concrete walls, shadowy light covering the figure in the black cloak.

"Bring me power." The voice repeated, growing a bit louder.

"The satanic adversary of darkness," A piece of paper with symbols drawn on it were flourished. "The lord of fiery purgatory who defied heaven – I call upon thee, Lucifer!" The paper was dropped into the faintly glowing, purple water only for it to turn a vivid sky blue.

"Reveal at once thy egregious figure and answer to my inquiries!" The girl's face was revealed by the glowing, a devastatingly beautiful face with an intimidating smirk. "Rise, Lucifer!" The girl drew back, raising her arms into the air, "Come forth unto me!" The liquid rose and turned into a hot, fire-like substance that caused the light to bounce off the walls and come back in an eerie way. The blue flames formed something resembling a figure.

"Who would dare call upon me? Which foolish mortal is it?" The figure called out, voice deep and dark, resounding off the walls. The girl ignored the question, brushing a piece of her long reddish hair behind her ear calmly. "Tell me, Lucifer, is something interesting about to take place?"

Despite his grumbling from before, the figure answered obediently. "In the place where the black crows surround the blue-eyed raven, betrayal will come forth and bestow upon wretched grey hearts and the ash-like sky will become a bloody red. The faithful one will stray and a meeting between fates will be tied with sadness while the mourning one will continue to be protected with pain and unmoral ways."

The girl smirked, this would be interesting. She ripped up a piece of paper, making the figure disappear, as he began to rage again about being called out again and she began to start decoding the cryptic message.

**Review Replies: **

**To: SakuraKoi – Thanks! ^^ **

**To: Shara Raizel – Dai's up to a lot of things~! (Grins) Here's some Kaito and Hakuba again, along with Aoko. ^^ **

**To: Mokuren No Ken –** **Yup, update~! Haha, I'm glad you love his appearance, as well as hate it. XD I'm glad he's an enigma – just as I had hoped. (Laughs) Haha, yup, fake name – hope you didn't ponder too much. XDD Here's the update~! 8D And I'm glad – I was hesitating for a while, wondering if I should add them, but decided against it. XD**

**To: MagicMilkbone – Haha, I'm glad you do~! And yup, he doesn't. XD And, yeah, I think I'd be the same, if I was in his situation, lol. Here's the update~!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Well, I've been a lazy ass lately and then my computer died – thankfully, I was able to save everything! – and yeah… Sorry for the inexcusably late chapter. n( _ _ )n**

**Today's Quote: "A star shone at the hour of our meeting." – J.R.R. Tolkien. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Magic Kaito or Detective Conan in any way or form. **

**Warning(s): OOCness, magic, AU, …I can't think of anything else. Oh. Overworking. And lots of sighs. XD **

Chapter Eleven

School had been let out, much to the relief of the students. They all rushed out, grabbing their things and heading out with their groups of friends. Kaito, Aoko, and Hakuba headed out together, as well. They walked in a relatively comfortable silence; the only thing different from usual was the concerned eyes Aoko was sending the two of them. Kaito leaned closer to Hakuba, whispering to him. "You know, Aoko told me the other day that she thinks you're hiding something from her."

Hakuba choked on air, face straining to keep composure as he let out a small cough into his hand. "…Is that so?"

Kaito sent him a cheeky grin, imitating his British accent, "That is so."

The blonde scowled at his friend as the other laughed and Aoko was quick to jump to help out her boyfriend. "Bakaito! What'd you say to Saguru?!" She bellowed, eyes narrowed. Kaito gave another laugh, stepping lightly away from her. "What makes you think I said anything?" His face was the personification of innocence.

She didn't buy it for one minute. She knew Kaito too well already.

"Don't lie!" She yelled, indignant. "Those tricks won't work on me any more than they work on anyone that knows you!" Her fist was clenched in determination, wild hair blowing around her face. Nakamori Aoko was surely a force of nature to be reckoned with.

They both paused in their bickering as a phone rang and they turned to Hakuba as he took out his cellphone. "Excuse me for moment." He said before walking off a bit to answer it. Kaito and Aoko watched as his face went from neutral to a slightly stressed face, eyebrows crinkled a bit.

"…Who do you think it is?" Aoko asked, curious.

"I'm not sure." Her companion lied smoothly.

Bright blue eyes met violet indigo, "…Right..."

There was a short bout of hushed silence before Hakuba clicked his phone shut. "That was work. I have to go, there's been another incident." He sighed, sending an apologetic to the two. Aoko looked disappointed for a moment before brightening. "That okay! Be safe, okay?" She said before grabbing Kaito's arm. "We'll just be at the park, if you need us~!" She cheered before beginning to drag a protesting Kaito behind her to said park.

Hakuba stared after them before heading into a nearby crevice between buildings. A short burst of green light went unnoticed, followed by the sound of wings, and a hawk flew off in a general direction.

ooOOoo

Shinichi let out a tired sigh, staring down at the three mages he had just downed. He wiped away sweat from his forehead, feeling exhausted. Heiji was quick to come to his side as he tipped precariously to the side, quickly catching him. "Kudou…," He growled, "I think you should rest. You're using up too much magic."

Shinichi let out a breathy chuckle, "Can't, Hattori. They said we're working too slowly; you know what happens if they get angry…," He raised his brows pointedly, but didn't move from his slump into Heiji's side, too tired. The familiar scowled, shifting him into a more comfortable position. "That doesn't mean you should be careless!"

His ears tilted forward, aggression in his stance and tone, small fangs prominent in his mouth, "You could disappear, _aho_!"

Shinichi only clicked his tongue in irritation, straightening out and brushing off Heiji's worried hands. "…That's fine with me."

Heiji was just about to bark out another insult when he was interrupted by a childish voice, "Ah, Shinichi-niichan!" Both started in shock, whipping around to see three familiar children. The mage was the first of the two to recover, face erasing all traces of weakness. "Ayumi-chan, Mitsuhiko, Genta…What are you doing here?" He questioned. They were at the back of an abandoned warehouse, having just taken down the magical encirclement.

"Haibara-san said that you were over here." Mitsuhiko said, lifting up the familiar device around his neck with a smile.

"I see. Thanks for watching over them, Haibara." Shinichi intoned, face softening in fondness. "It's not a problem, boss." Ayumi giggled at the device's bland words before turning back to the teens. "Are you gathering magic again, Shinichi-niichan, Heiji-niichan?" It was kind of obvious, what with the three prone figures against the wall in the background. However, the blue-eyed teen nodded.

"We were just wrapping up, though." Heiji interrupted with a smirk, ignoring the spiteful glare Shinichi flashed in his direction, about to protest, but wasn't able to as Heiji continued, "How about you guys go to the park together?"

"Heiji! You–!"

"Yeah~! Do you want to come, Shinichi-niichan?" His face flinched from its angry glare into one of awkward submission; the change made Heiji give a smug grin. "Er…Um…I actually have work to d–" "I'll take care of it! I'll go find Moroboshi, or something!" "_Hei_–!" "Go on, Kudou! Go on and have some fun!" He pushed Shinichi gently towards the kids, who immediately latched onto his hands, beginning to pull him towards their destination happily. He protested weakly, looking nervous.

"Ah, _Hattori_…guys…," His barrier jacket vanished in a burst of blue as they neared more people.

"See ya, Kudou! Have fun~!"

ooOOoo

"So, where do you all want to go?" Shinichi asked with a sigh, now in his Conan form. The children crowded around him, parroting gleefully about a project they had done in school that day.

"Let's go to the park!" Ayumi suggested and Genta echoed with a loud agreement, mentioning something about one-on-one soccer with Mitsuhiko for last time. Shinichi smiled, "Okay."

They walked in a content hum of meaningless chatter, talking about anything to everything. No one noticed as Shinichi dragged a bit farther behind, breathing shallower than usual and footsteps somewhat imprecise. His face, however, was calm and warm as he watched his small friends from behind, letting his muscles loosen. Maybe Hattori was right when he said I should take a break, he thought to himself as he nearly stumbled before catching his footing.

The park came into sight and he spotted a bench near the entrance that he could rest on once they got there. They quickly got to aforementioned park and Ayumi ran over to the swing set while Genta and Mitsuhiko took a ball out of one of their bags and headed over to the large, grassy, area – away from the trees and far enough from the street and sidewalk to kick without restrain.

The child-sized teen lifted himself onto the bench with little effort, leaning back and letting out another sigh, weary eyes taking in his surroundings. Suddenly, a familiar face obscured his view of the rest of the world, startling him, and cerulean blue met violet-hued blue. "You know, sighing is bad for the soul~!" The other teen hummed, pulling back and taking a seat next to Shinichi on the bench.

There was a short stiff moment before the tinier relaxed, relieved as he did a quick scan of the area. Good, no blond in sight. He saw the girl from before sitting on a swing next to Ayumi, striking up a conversation with the younger. He swallowed thickly, peering at Kaito from the corner of his eye, glasses glinting in the fading sunlight.

"…You're from before…," Shinichi mumbled, not sure what to say, feeling oddly nervous.

Kaito flashed him a grin, "Yup! Sorry about Hakuba, by the way! He's suspicious of everyone!" He gave a laugh and Shinichi found a smile curling at his lips, unbidden. Kaito caught it. "Ah, there it is! You look much better with a smile than that serious face from before!" He poked the not-child's cheek happily. Immediately, Shinichi's smile turned into a scowl as he batted at the hand, turning his face away to hide the flush working up his neck, "D-Don't touch me, _ba'aro_!"

_Why am I blushing?! _

Kaito laughed at the insult, not bothered in the bit. "So, you're a mage, too, huh?" The subject was changed in the blink of an eye. Shinichi glanced back at him for a minute, still scowling, and assessed the situation. It didn't _feel_ like a trap…

"Yeah." He answered shortly, taking in the reaction.

The other on the bench seemed ecstatic at the information, brightening like the sun, even as the real one continued its journey down into the horizon, sky glowing red and oranges, fading into the dark indigo of night. "Awesome! You're so young, too! Once you're older, you'll be able to do all types of things – Hakuba told me if your magic awakens before the age of ten, it's likely that you'll be very powerful~! You're about six, right?" He beamed, leaning towards the shorter in excitement.

Shinichi, in turn, leaned back a bit as the other came too close for comfort. "I'm _seven_." He retorted, feeling insulted since Kaito probably thought he was younger due to his height in this form.

"Oh, I see! Sorry~!"

Shinichi twitched, faced with such unending smiles and cheer. It was unusual, but it wasn't exactly…bad.

Suddenly he remembered that _he_ was the one who should be apologizing for what he'd done last time and his mood sobered. There was a brief moment of silence before Shinichi forced it out past his lips. "…Sorry. For before, I mean. Your hands okay, right?" He grumbled like a sulking child, carefully avoiding Kaito's gaze.

Said boy stared in surprise for a second before placing a gentle hand on Shinichi's shoulder, turning him to face him. For the second time that night, their eyes met. "Hey, it's okay. My hand is fine, too." Shinichi was frozen before he suddenly pulled out of the grasp, scooting further away, and turning with a huff.

"T-That's good."

Kaito let out a chuckle at the boy's expense, retracting his hand to his side. "Those are your friends, right?" The conversation was continued.

"…"

"Over there is my friend Aoko. She's always been there for me, as long as I can remember. Don't let her frail appearance fool you – she's a violent woman~! But, that's what makes her so likable, I guess. The jerk you met the other day is Hakuba Saguru. He's a detective and a mage like you. He's not actually a bad person, but when you first meet him, he gives off the impression 'stick in the mud'." Kaito explained, laughing.

"…"

"You don't have to be nervous around Hakuba, either. He won't do anything to you besides interrogate you to death." Kaito leaned back into the bench, looking up into the dimming sky.

"…Those three are Ayumi, Mitsuhiko, and Genta. They can't really relate to me, but they all know I'm a mage." Shinichi finally broke his silence, gesturing his chin to the three. Kaito's attention focused on him, "Are you close?"

A dry chuckle, "Yeah, we are. When we first met, it was complete chaos, though. …It's strange to think back on it. They'd been so young then…,"

Shinichi's gaze was off in the distance, glazed over in memories as his face softened. Kaito watched him, mesmerized as his oversized glasses glinted and his eyes glimmered in the faint light, face reflecting much world weariness, all childishness gone from his posture.

"…You act more like an old man than a child." Kaito noted, breaking the moment as he turned his face back to the sky, puzzlement hidden under his pokerface.

"O-Oi!" Shinichi snapped out of his reverie, looking indignant as he scowled at the teen.

Kaito let out another laugh, "Ha, sorry, sorry. It was too much to resist!" He continued to stifle his chuckles in his hand and, after a while, Shinichi let out a small laugh, as well. "You're a real piece of work, you know that?" He commented to Kaito, smirking up at him.

"Oh, I know~! The best piece of work ever~!" Kaito preened.

"Moron…,"

"But, you know you love me~! –Oh, by the way, we've never formally introduced ourselves, have we?" And just like that, the subject changed. The two didn't notice that the sun had just fully descended beyond the horizon, stars waiting to come out. The first one brightened in the sky as the moon shone down upon the two.

"No, we haven't." Shinichi blinked before offering his small hand. "Edogawa Conan, nice to meet you."

Instead of taking his hand, Kaito stood up, doing an exaggerated bow. "Kuroba Kaito, magician extraordinaire, at your service! A pleasure to meet you, Edogawa Conan!" He straightened, but not before poofing a flower into existence and placing it in Shinichi's outstretched palm and curling the hand around it himself after a moment of Shinichi surprised staring. The rose was a deep blue, almost mirroring the color of his own orbs.

"Anyways, Conan-kun, I should go. It's getting late." Kaito said, looking over to Aoko who was still waiting for him on the swing set. Shinichi blinked before nodding, placing the flower carefully into the inner pocket of his jacket. "Yeah, we should be getting home, too." He stood off the bench, waving his hand as he shouted, "Ayumi-chan! Genta! Mitsuhiko! We should head home now!"

The kids looked over to him with pouts but started towards him either way, albeit lazily. Aoko also made her way over to Kaito, Ayumi by her side. It seemed like the two had hit it off well enough. Shinichi took a step forward to his small charges before he halted, feeling something stutter inside him, like a flame flickering in and out inconsistently.

He let out a strangled gasp as he tilted towards the ground, Kaito looking over immediately as he felt something fluctuate beside him. He hurried over as Shinichi placed a hand over his heart before falling over, getting caught in two warm arms. The world seemed to tip and bend and all sounds went unheard.

Blue met violet indigo for the third time that night before everything blurred than faded into oblivion.

**Review Replies:**

**To: KidfishxD – It's okay, I understand! ^^ And yup~! I love HeiKazu! They're so cute! 3 and really? I'm glad! I was worried that it was too easy to figure out. XD I feel like I suck at making riddles and it took me a while to figure out something that sounded Lucifer-riddle-esque. –laughs– And yup, they will~! Here's the – supremely late – update. ^^;;; **

**To: icarusdg – Ohmygosh;shi fjgnidhfg! I-I'm really honored to have you reading this! I absolutely adore your stories and having you read this – **_**reviewing**_** it! 8O – is just so-so- amazing! 8DDD and here's their next meeting! ^^ Thank you for the review! 3 **

**To: Shara Raizel – Thank you; it was fun writing that part, too. ^^ And yup. XD My sister mentioned something about it and it sparked a big, fat, idea in my mind that couldn't be quelled. I plan on writing quite a bit moer about that in future chapters. :) Here's the next chapter. ^^ **

**To: RoseAngel16 (both in one) – Thank you! Here's their next meeting! ^^ Here's the supremely late update! Also, thank you for reviewing once more, since that's what actually got me off my lazy ass to write this chapter. XD Thanks for you reviews! 3 **

**To: MagicMilkbone – Yeah, she doesn't. I can't blame her, either; truthfully, I don't think I'd let the dude into my house. XD;; And yes, Akako! And I can't help but have her appear in every one of my stories and to have a decently large part. I love her character too much~! And I'm glad. Like I said in an earlier response, I had a hard time coming up with something Lucifer-riddle-esque. XD And bingo~! And will do~! 8DD **

**-Thank you for everyone still reading this story, as my updates are getting even worse. ;;;**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Wow, it's been two months already since the last update. Time, why you no wait for me? (TT****﹏TT****) Anyways, here's the update. Sorry for the incredibly long wait and the shortness of it. The next chapter should be longer, since a bunch of shit hits the fan. XD**

**Today's Quotes: "There is no medicine like hope, no incentive so great, and no tonic so powerful as expectation of something tomorrow." – Orison Swett Marden. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Magic Kaito or Detective Conan in any way or form. **

**Warning(s): Shortness, AU, use of magic, …I think that's about it. **

Chapter Twelve

The sound of fingers clacking on a keyboard was the first thing that assaulted his senses, heightening his awareness to his surroundings. He was laying on something cold and hard and there was something attached to his wrist. Velcro, he noted, feeling the harsh material scrap against his skin.

"You're awake, I see."

His eyes snapped open, easily locating Shiho gazing down on him emotionlessly. He ignored the threatening vibe he was receiving, tugging on his wrist. "Why is this thing on me?" He asked, "Where am I?"

Shiho stared at him a moment longer before snapping the Velcro from his wrist, placing it back into a bin she had close by. "You don't remember what happened?" She questioned and watched as he shook his head slowly. She gave a sigh. "You collapsed yesterday for overusing your magic. Luckily, Kuroba-kun was able to carry you back before you turned back and I promptly kicked him out so that I could take care of you." She explained, pushing Shinichi back onto the table as he tried to sit up.

"Stop moving, you'll make it worse." She spoke between clenched teeth and he stopped on cue, deciding to not make her angrier.

"…Kuroba-kun?" He said after a moment, brow furring before they rose in realization. "Kuroba Kaito? The guy from the park?"

"Yes, the guy from the park, the one that looks like you." She nodded, moving away to grab her clipboard. "He might be your doppelganger, be careful." She smirked to herself in amusement as Shinichi chuckled, "I think it'd be the other way around, Miyano." "True." She allowed, jotting down some things before turning back to him.

"Okay, you should be fine, but you shouldn't use magic anytime soon."

"But–" Shinichi began to protest, shooting up from his laying position, only to hunch over again, panting for breath. "_Got it?_" She poked his chest menacingly, face still expressionless. He unwillingly let himself be pushed onto his back again to rest longer.

"…Fine."

There was short bout of silence as Shiho checked Shinichi's vital signs, jotting notes every now and then, and pulled back after a while. "You're lucky you didn't change back into Shinichi while he was still carrying you back home." She commented randomly, startling him out of his thoughts.

His brows furred as he thought it over, "Yeah…He's friends with that blond mage. It would have gotten me in trouble." He frowned deeply, cursing himself internally for actually exchanging words with the mage's friend. Though, his friend wasn't at all a threat, even if he was friends with the blond. Shiho looked down at him, cold eyes glittering in an internal amusement. "Should I have told him not to come back, then?"

"What do mean told him not to–?" He was once again cut off by the sound of the doorbell ringing throughout their living quarters. The Miyano woman smirked to herself as she turned away from the table-ridden boy, "That's probably him. Even though I don't really approve…," She trailed with a sigh, tossing him smaller clothes, "change back into Conan. He doesn't know you as Shinichi yet, after all."

Shinichi blinked at the clothing before sitting up slowly, careful to not overexert himself. Suddenly, something slapped him on his wrist and he flinched, looking up at Shiho, who was holding a fly swatter.

A _fly swatter_.

"Oi! What was that for?!" He asked indignantly, rubbing his now-red arm.

She smiled at him before heading out of the lab so that he could change. "Compensation."

He stared after before sighing and changing to Conan in a burst of weak light. Staggering, he tried to be quick with getting his clothes on, wondering over her words.

_Yet? _

ooOOoo

Kaito blinked, smiling happily when the door opened. Immediately, he saw the strawberry blonde from before – the one who had discretely kicked him out the other day. "Hello~! I just wanted to see if Conan-kun was okay." He grinned charmingly, hoping the woman wouldn't close the door on his face. He could see her doing that.

She stared at him blankly for a moment as a bead of sweat trailed nervously down his cheek. He wasn't comfortable around her, as her magic felt cold and powerful.

After a few minutes, she finally opened her mouth to speak. "Conan is in bed now, but feel free to come in and see him." She stated blandly, moving aside so that he could get inside. His grin became less strained as he moved in past her, wanting to see his little friend.

He looked around the inside as he was brought to the room. It looked relatively normal, a kitchen visible from the doorstep and the living room hidden as it was placed further to the left, the hall too narrow to see it. To the right was some free space before a hall opened at the base of where the living room began, leading to several closed doors. For an apartment, it was big and roomy, leaving several spots for the imagination – he wondered what was behind all the doors as he was led down the hallway.

All six doors were blank, giving no sign to who's room was whose. "By the way, we never introduced ourselves formally. Are you Conan-kun's mother?" He asked curiously.

The woman stopped walking, turning her face to him. "…His mother?" She smirked in an odd way. "I suppose you could say that. I'm Miyano Shiho."

Kaito blinked but disregarded it, introducing himself once more. "As I'm sure you already know, I'm Kuroba Kaito, magician extraordinaire~!" He bowed low, popping out a yellow rose for her. She stared for a moment before taking it gently, opening the door right after. "Here's his room." Shiho stated, leaving back down the hall.

Kaito peered in, spotting Conan lying in his bed, and knocked gently on the doorframe, despite the fact that the boy was already looking at him. Without his glasses, the cerulean stare was piercing. He took the initiative and walked in, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"You okay?" He asked, getting a small nod in response.

A somewhat awkward silence rang throughout the room before the shrunken Shinichi spoke up, "Thank you…for bringing me here." Only his cerulean eyes peeked out from behind his bangs, the rest of his face covered bashfully as he looked away. Part of it was an act and the other half was actually embarrassed that he'd needed a teen about his age to carry him back home. His pride was a bit wounded.

Kaito blinked before grinning, extending his hand and ruffling the younger's bangs. "No problem, we're friends now, after all~!"

Shinichi squawked in protest, reaching up to protect his hair from further debauched. "O-Oi!" Kaito laughed heartily, continuing to ruffle the smooth hair playfully, questioning all the while, "By the way, since you collapsed yesterday, when you get better, let's go somewhere fun!" He randomly decided on a whim. Shinichi's brows furrowed at the random change of conversation as the other continued, "We can go to Tropical Land! How about that, Conan-kun?"

"Uh…Sure. But, we just met. Why do you want to go out of your way to do that?" Shinichi intoned, feeling somewhat awkward with how close Kaito was acting to him.

Kaito smiled, finally removing his hand from the now-messy hair. "I can tell you're a good person and you seem a bit lonely." He informed gently, "You remind me a bit of myself when I was younger. Plus," He placed a hand over his heart, a grin spreading, "Your magic is very powerful, it makes me feel like my hearts about to burst." He laughed as a flush spread across the bedridden boy's face, once again trying to become one with the bed.

"Anyways, I should get going! It's good that you're alright; I'll pick you up for Tropical Land this weekend~!" With a wave, blatantly ignoring the spluttering protests, he made his way out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Shinichi stared after him for a moment, shell-shocked, before he grumbled to himself, "Tropical Land…? What does he think I am, a kid?" However, a slight smile dawned on his lips.

ooOOoo

"Toyama-san, Sera-san, I'm putting you in charge of questioning Mouri Ran, my daughter. Remember that she went through something possibly traumatic and not to dig for details if she feels uncomfortable talking about." Kisaki Eri said, staring at her two subordinates behind her glasses. Sera grinned, "We won't, Admiral! I'm sure all of us will get along well." Kazuha smiled by her side, nodding before asking, "When will we be questioning her?"

"She's discharged from the hospital this weekend."

**Review Replies:**

**To: Mai-chan63 – Yeah, I felt kind of bad doing that to him, but oh wells. For the sake of the story. XDD (all author excuses) Huh, that's strange. Ah, though, sometimes I end up doing that, too, so no worries! (Laughs) And I'm glad! Here's the next one~! 8D **

**To: Mokuren No Ken – Yay! I'm glad you found it cute – I was worrying about it seeming too awkward. XD Ah, I hope your soul is back in one piece! 8O (Laughs) I wonder… (Purposely Trails Off) XD **

**To: Shara Raizel – (Laughs) Yeah. XD Sorry 'bout that. It's really hard to decide what to do with this story, since I only had the very beginning and the ending planned out. XDD I'm glad you liked it~! Hakuba and Conan's clash will be fun to write~ XD **

**To: RoseAngel16 – Thank you, I'm glad you found it sweet and it made you smile. ^^ And yeah, I felt bad about that. . Sorry Shin-chan! ( -****‿-****) –whistles innocently– And don't worry, telling me to update after a while won't bother me, but rather make me actually get to work on it because I feel bad about not updating the story. XDD;;; So, it's perfectly fine to demand an update once in a while. (Laughs) Thank you~! **

**To: MagicMilkbone – Haha, yeah, finally! XDDD And that's alright, it's hard for us authors to keep a steady pace for everything. ^^ I know I'm guilty for not updating something for almost 6 months… ;;; Thank you – and yup, you can't have a story without, at least, mentioning the chibi tantei~! **

**To: KidfishxD – Yeah, I updated. XD Sorry about the long wait (and this update took a long wait, too…;; )! . And yup, the long-awaited meeting~! 8DDD Here's the – incredibly late – update. XD **

**-This was supposed to be longer, but that didn't work out. Next chapter will be longer, promise! **


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Well, this was fun to write. XDD Forgive the horrible OOC-ness at the end, but since Shinichi's a thief in this one and his situations different, I'm guessing he'd do something similar. Perhaps? XD I dunno. Enjoy? ^^**

**Today's Quote: "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong." – Murphy's Law. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Magic Kaito or Detective Conan in any way or form. (or shape!) **

**Warning(s): AU, OOC-ness, use of (confusing) magic, cursing, did I mention OOC-ness? XD **

Chapter Thirteen

As promised, Kaito came to pick him up Saturday morning, clad in casual jeans and a T shirt, with a bright smile on his face.

Shiho's blank face stared for a moment before moving over to let him inside. "Conan's still getting ready; please wait in the living room." She said blandly, fixing her lab coat before leaving the teen to his own devices, disappearing back into her lab at the end of the hall, the door shutting with a click. Kaito blinked, finding himself alone in the genkan. Slowly, he removed his shoes and took an available pair of slippers that he'd been given the other time.

He walked deeper into the house, making his way to the living room like he was told and taking a tentative seat on the couch, feeling a bit awkward. His silence was shattered as an Osakan voice rang from the kitchen and he whipped his head around to see a dark-skinned teen holding a sandwich between his teeth and peeking out from behind the wall of the kitchen. "Ku–? Ah, no, you're definitely not. Who're you?" He mumbled, somehow still managing to keep the sandwich in his mouth as he opened a can of, what looked like, Pepsi.

A pair of wolf ears twitched on his head and Kaito found himself staring for a moment before he grinned in greeting, "Hello~! I'm Kuroba Kaito – I'm just waiting for Conan-kun, don't mind me." He hummed and the other blinked before grabbing the sandwich hanging from his mouth, and walking into the living room, uncaring that Shiho had told him just the other day to stop eating in there.

"So, _you're_ Kuroba, huh?" Heiji asked curiously, and Kaito carefully hid his amusement as the familiar's tail was revealed, swaying slightly in interest.

"Oh, you've heard of me? Does Conan-kun talk about me a lot?" He asked, chuckling as the other sat on the recliner chair, sinking into the plush cushion. "Nope, Miyano told me about you." Heiji answered honestly, taking another bite out of his sandwich and Kaito had to hold back a raising brow as sharp canines flashed. He'd definitely heard of mage's familiars from Hakuba, but seeing one in real life was different. Compared to witches familiars, which are largely viewed as black cats or demons of some sorts, a mage's familiar was a human-animal hybrid born of magic. He was curious to how it worked, but he had never managed to ask his friend.

"Miyano-san did?" He blinked.

"Yeah. She thought I should know since Ku–K–K–Conan-kun," He finally managed the name and Kaito raised a brow at the stuttering. "Will probably be spending more time with ya, is all." Kaito smiled, "That's probably right~! We're friends now, after all~! Are you Conan-kun's familiar?"

A wide grin spread across the familiar's face and he brought a fist to his chest, straightening subtly. "Yup, I'm the one to keep 'im safe and answer to his calls! Hattori Heiji, nice to meet ya!" He said proudly, not noticing Kaito grew a bit stiff at his name before making a show of relaxing.

At that moment, Conan decided to walk into the room, clad in casual clothing and donning a baseball cap that Heiji recognized as his own. "Sorry for making you wait, Kuroba-san." He said, his eyes flickering to his familiar, who sent him a wave, taking another bite of his sandwich. Conan deadpanned as crumbs fell carelessly onto the carpet and chair; he'd definitely hear from Shiho about that. Something about 'controlling his familiar properly'.

"'Kuroba-san'?" Kaito whined, standing up and bending down in front of his small companion in a 'scolding' stance. "Call me 'Kaito', Conan-kun. Kai-to." He pronounced, poking the younger's forehead. Shinichi scowled, batting his hand away, and looking pointedly out in the distance, to the wall. "Fine, Kaito-san then." The other's first name felt strange on his tongue.

"No, no! 'Kaito-niichan'!" Kaito persisted and Shinichi shot a glare as Heiji snickered before he looked back to the one before him, "Uh…But…," He couldn't even finish his sentence before Kaito protested, "But it sounds so formal, Conan-kun. We're friends now!" He urged with a grin.

Conan flinched before turning his eyes to the ground, a flush working up his neck, "K–Kaito-niichan…, then." He stuttered, feeling even more awkward with this choice of name. He was the same age as Kaito, it seemed, and it felt wrong to be calling him such things. Still, if he had to, he would.

"Great!" Kaito straightened and began to pull the younger to the door, "Now, let's go! If we go early, we won't have to wait in line for the Mystery Coaster!" He cheered and waved to Heiji, who blinked at the sudden departure. "See you, Hattori-kun, it was nice meeting you!"

And with that, they were both out the door, heading towards their destination.

ooOOoo

Kazuha and Sera looked up as the hospital doors opened, revealing Mouri Ran, bowing thankfully to one of the mage doctors they recognized. Mouri Kogoro stood next to the two, eagerly making his way to his daughter as she exited the building. Tears of joy were streaming down his face in a somewhat comical way as he gave her a hug. "Ran!" He wailed, sniffling. "I'm so glad you're okay!" Ran laughed softly, patting her father's back before he finally released her, wiping the tears from his cheeks with one hand.

"It's nice to see you again, too, dad." She smiled up to him before blinking as he finally dried his eyes and his face turned serious, "Now, I want you to tell me everything about the man that attacked you." He demanded, obviously not pleased with the assailant. Her violet eyes strayed a bit to the side as she bit her lip, "Dad, I think it's best if you left this case to the police…,"

Kogoro frowned, "But, Ran–" He was cut off as Sera and Kazuha smartly intervened. "As this is a special case, Mouri-san, we'll have to ask you to step down." Kazuha said, feeling a bit bad as the older Mouri's face grew angry. "What? Step down?! You two are only kids – don't think you can keep me off my own daughter's case!" He scowled deeply, but was cut off by another voice off to the side.

"Dear, I think its best that you step down, too." Kisaki Eri, in all her glory, stood close by, arms crossed and expression stern. Kogoro startled, "E-Eri?!"

"Ah, admiral." Sera greeted with a small smile, bowing along with Kazuha. Kogoro's eyes darted from the two teens he'd yelled at previously to his wife in confusion, "Admiral? Eri, what's going on? Who are these two?" He questioned. Ran's eyes were now looking somewhere at the ground while Eri continued to stare at her husband blankly. Finally, the woman spoke up. "That's none of your concern, dear. Now, if you'll excuse us. Come on, Ran."

Eri grabbed Ran's wrist and brought her along as the two commissioners followed slowly. Kogoro stared after them, too put-out to follow.

After a while of walking, the group of four stopped at a café. They all found a nice table and took their seats, only ordering drinks so that they could talk in private. "Sorry about that." Eri apologized, "He doesn't yet know of our magical inclination or my occupation – he thinks I'm a regular lawyer and Ran is a normal high school student. To his knowledge, mages don't exist." Her tone was grim and Ran's demeanor had sobered immensely as she sipped at her iced tea.

"But, why don't ya just tell him?" Kazuha asked curiously, eyebrows furrowed in concern. Sera nodded in agreement to her partners questioning, taking a drink of her coke.

Eri sighed, bringing a hand up to pinch the bridge of her nose. Ran was the one who answered, however. "My dad's a detective, it's not in his line of work to believe in such things." She smiled a bit helplessly. "My mom never knew how to bring it up." The two other teens let out small 'oh's before Eri smiled, clapping her hands to bring everyone to attention. "Either way, you two should begin the questioning. I have to go back to headquarters. I left Kuriyama-san in charge temporarily, but I can't abandon my duties."

Smiling, Eri gave Ran a short hug before she left the table, disappearing out the door and into the busy streets. The others stared after for a moment before Sera grinned, taking out a notebook. "Okay, then! Mouri-san, can you tell us about the thieves you encountered?"

ooOOoo

"What do you want to go on next, Conan-kun?" Kaito asked brightly, handing the smaller an ice cream cone, ignoring the grimace as the younger took a lick out of the sugary desert. However, Shinichi didn't voice a complaint, not wanting to dampen the other's excited mood. Internally, he thought that Kaito was very suited for amusement parks, looking like he belonged with his ecstatic grin and over-reactions to certain rides he found interesting.

"You can choose." The shrunken mage answered after a moment of debating. There was only one ride he really wanted to go on – the Ferris Wheel – but he thought it best to wait until a bit later to ride it; the line was ungodly long at the moment. Besides, Kaito seemed more inclined to have more rides that he wanted to ride, gaze flickering between all of the colorful rides.

Kaito laughed, his own chocolate cone in his hand, as he led the two through the waves of people, holding Conan's hand so that he didn't get lost in the crowd. It seemed a lot of people had thought it a good idea to come to Tropical Land today, as well, ending up with overly crowded paths and the need to maneuver around others. Thankfully, Kaito was an expert at such tasks, easily bringing them to a relatively clear spot and taking a seat on the bench.

Shinichi blinked up at him curiously, but also took a seat on said bench. It couldn't be because they were eating; he knew they'd be done with the ice cream by the time they reached the front of the line. "Can't decide?" He questioned, taking another half-hearted lick of his treat. He really didn't understand what everyone thought tasted so good about it; it was too sweet and even the vanilla tasted like artificial flavoring, not to mention it was undesirably cold, chilling his mouth and stinging up to his brain. But, really, he supposed there were stranger things to like.

"Nope – I'm debating between the octopus ride and the one where they have you go upside down several times." The teen chuckled, pointing out said rides with a jubilant finger.

Shinichi glanced over to said rides, paling a bit at the prospect of the latter. Even though it was further away, he could still hear the excited – and terrified – screams merging into one cacophony of screeches. He gave a dry smile, "How about the octopus one? It looks a lot saner."

For his first time at an amusement park, this was definitely not what he had expected. The air was buzzing with happiness – overwhelmingly so – and the chatter from passerby's' were overpowered by shrieks of excitement and fear. The whole place made him feel a bit ill at ease and out of place; he was beginning to wonder if he was the only one with such thoughts.

"Conan-kun?" Startling out of his musings, Shinichi turned cerulean eyes back to his companion, looking a bit sheepish. "Ah, sorry, Kaito-niichan. What did you say?" A bead of sweat ran down his neck as Kaito stared at him longer than necessary before the other grinned, turning away to gaze at the sky and leaning back into the bench, finishing off his cone with a final bite, popping the whole thing into his mouth.

"I said we should go on the Ferris Wheel." Kaito stated, smiling to himself. "I saw you staring at it when we first came in."

Shinichi flushed, "It just looked super tall, is all." He said, nonchalantly looking to the side. Kaito wasn't fooled for a minute, but let the younger have his way for the moment, "Okay, then, let's go on the octopus ride for now, Conan-kun! We'll go on the Ferris Wheel when it gets darker – from up there, you can see everything light up!" With a flourish, Kaito stood up and hauled Shinichi off the bench, beginning to pull him through the crowd once more to the earlier mentioned 'octopus ride'.

Shinichi sighed fondly, finishing his ice cream cone, and letting himself be pulled through the crowd. He supposed it wasn't so bad here, long as he was with Kaito.

ooOOoo

"…Are you sure?" Kazuha asked, for the third time already. This was precisely why she hadn't wanted to question Ran and had felt uneasy – she knew it deep within her gut that she wouldn't like the answer; some people had joked that she had a sixth sense of sorts for these types of things, but she hadn't actually taken them seriously. At least, she'd tried not to.

Ran nodded, looking concern at the commissioner's odd behavior. "Yes, the familiar was a wolf with dark skin and an Osakan accent, called 'Hattori'."

Sera sent her friend a worried glance before smiling back to Ran, "I see. Thank you for your cooperation, Mouri-san." With a nod, Sera stood up and pulled her friend away with a small bow to the one still at the café table. Once far enough, Sera turned to look at Kazuha, who still looked a bit disbelieving, "There's nothing we can do about it…," She gave Kazuha's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "On the bright side, the familiar won't be charged." Due to several laws involving familiars, the worst was that he'd need to do community service for a few months (or years, depending on the crime).

"That's true…," Kazuha finally managed, smiling a bit. She couldn't really blame it on the familiar, either; a lot of them were exceedingly loyal and will even follow their masters to the death, if need be.

Hardening her features, she straightened, hand going to touch her device on her neck, Sera mimicking the gesture. A second later, a barrier had wrapped around the city. Kazuha was enveloped in an orange light before it dispersed, leaving her in her barrier jacket, device now elongated to a relatively simple staff, the crest gleaming under the sunlight. Sera was engulfed with a light green burst before she, too, stood in her barrier jacket, her device staff looking heavier and larger than her companions, what with its intricate design.

"Are you ready? Admiral Kisaki probably already knows that we're about to detain them, so we can just go ahead." Sera commented absently, glancing to the sky.

Kazuha smiled, hand coming over to grip her device with both hands, "Ready as ever, Masumi-chan."

ooOOoo

Kaito was laughing. Partially at Shinichi's pale face and partially at the other's wobbling. After getting on the 'octopus ride' (which had been decent, if a bit repetitive), they'd gone on several other rides, just recently getting off the upside down one Kaito had mentioned before. Obviously, Shinichi wasn't one to handle the constant ups and downs and jostling – he swore that the machine had also moved in impossible ways.

"S-Shut up, ba'aro!" The smaller snapped, no real heat behind it.

Kaito let out another laugh, reaching down to ruffled Conan's hair playfully before pulling back as a baleful, blue, stare was directed up to him. "Oh, come on, it wasn't that bad." He amended, catching the boy as he tipped to the side a bit with dizziness. "Says the maniac…," Shinichi shot back in a grumble, brushing off the helpful hand grumpily. Just as Kaito was about to give another playful jest, both froze as a magical barrier spread across the whole of Tropical Land, noises and people disappearing just as quickly as the barrier had come on.

Shinichi straightened, recognizing the magic instantly. He clenched his teeth, a small 'tch' escaping as his device echoed out his thoughts, "There's trouble, sir."

"I can see that." Shinichi replied dryly, cerulean eyes darting off into the distant, taking in all the empty rides, still running. The place seemed eerie without all the buzzing crowds, he mused internally. His thoughts flitted behind his eyes; should he get ready for a battle or was this just a false alarm? He highly doubted the latter, though.

"Incoming." Conan announced, mechanical voice sounding just the slightest concerned from Shinichi's neck. "Homing Bullet." It finished.

Sure enough, Shinichi's eye pointed out a small green orb flitting around in the sky, heading straight for the two of them. Or, more specifically, him. "Not a false alarm, then…," He mumbled to himself, bracing his feet apart and raising a hand to protect himself, a dark blue magic circle – larger than it should be – appearing just in time to deflect said Homing Bullet. The two opposing forces met with a clash of power, the impact breaking the sound barrier and splitting through the air as green and blue clashed; colors spilling over the edge of the shield and wind blowing through Shinichi's bangs powerfully.

"Conan-kun!" Kaito shouted, running forward worriedly as the green orb finally diminished and the magic circle disappeared, Shinichi dropping his arm carelessly. "Are you okay?" He questioned before stopping as the boy turned, eyes set in a glare beyond his years. A bead of sweat ran down the messy-haired teens face at the look, feeling oddly cold. "Conan…kun?" However, the glare wasn't directed at him and he found himself turning to see what the other was looking at.

A familiar face stood on the other end of the park, also glaring down at his small companion, though a smirk was adorning the blond's face. "Hakuba?" Kaito asked, confused. "What are you doing here? More importantly, why are you attacking Conan-kun?" He shot his friend a defiant gaze, not happy with his actions. Hakuba hadn't been at school the last few days and now this was happening. Internally, he knew it probably had something to do with the TSAB, but ignored the thought.

"Kuroba, come over here." Hakuba demanded, "You'll see exactly why in a few minutes. It seems your friend isn't pleased to see me."

"What? No, I'm not goi–" Kaito's protest was cut off by Shinichi, young voice now deeper and mature. "Go." He ordered, eyes still set on Hakuba. "It's better if you side with Hakuba Saguru." He ripped off the chain holding Conan from his neck, smirking at his opponent after his sentence. "And isn't it surprising to see you again." He hummed to the blond, "To think you'd be working on another case of mine. I knew I'd recognized you from somewhere."

Internally, he was panicking just the slightest, trying to keep a calm mind and desperately trying to contact Heiji with their telepathic link. He almost grinned when he finally managed, _Hattori, I may need some assistance over here. _

_You're not the only one. Shiho and I are in a bit of a bind, Shinichi._

Blue eyes narrowed at the other using his first name – it must be serious, he concluded, before clicking his tongue in annoyance as they were once again cut off. He was brought out of his thoughts as Hakuba began talking. "Yes, it's quite a coincidence, isn't it? You were suspected in murdering two mages, Miyano Atsushi and his wife, Miyano Elena. Though, due to lack of evidence and not being able to locate you, the case eventually went cold."

Shinichi remembered that case clearly and he masked a frown with a sneer. "Oh, yes, that one. Unfortunately, I have to say you suspected the wrong person." Both of Shiho's parents hadn't been killed by him, but by the organization they were being forced to work with – Shinichi had been a bit younger then, not possessing the power to help the two as they were brutally murdered before him. However, they had found use in Shiho and him, sparing Heiji only because of the fact that he could help with further missions.

Hakuba's eyes narrowed, caramel eyes suspicious. "Sorry if I don't take your word for it. Kudou, was it?" He smirked as the other twitched impeccably at the mention of his name. Kaito stared between the two, completely confused and worried. He couldn't follow the conversation, but what he was getting from it was that…Conan was a criminal?

Finally, two and two clicked. "Wait! Hakuba are you saying that Conan-kun is actually the Kudou that Ran-san mentioned? That he's the thief?" He started, cutting off the conversation. Shinichi swallowed – looks like I'm out of luck, he thought to himself, before smirking on the outside.

"Yes, that's correct, Kuroba-san." Closing his eyes in resignation, there was a blue burst before a taller, sturdier version of Conan emerged, clad in an outfit he'd heard Hakuba explain once before – a barrier jacket. His eyes opened, darkened a bit with age. "It's true." His device was clenched in his metal, gloved, hand tightly, the staff pointed forward threateningly. "It's too bad that you had to get involved. You could have avoided it, had you not been friends with him." The tone was cold and indirect – empty.

His heart was pounded, it seemed, faster than it should be, Shinichi thought, feeling the pulse throughout his whole body.

Eyes glancing over to Kaito, he pushed the other forward, toward Hakuba, with his staff. "Leave me." He stated darkly, throat feeling dry. Kaito looked torn before hurrying over to Hakuba, who immediately stepped in front of his none-mage friend. "So you do have some morals, I suppose." Hakuba said, "But, the question is, do you intend to come peacefully?"

Shinichi looked up towards the sky – impeccably blue; it looked too blue at the moment – as if contemplating an answer before he brought his staff to his side, planting it firmly on the ground. "It seems as if you're here alone." He commented absently, "And you still don't have a device, despite having practiced some combat-based magic. I take it that nobody knows you're here?"

Hakuba let out a small chuckle. "Admiral Kisaki of the Time-Space Administration Bureau knows I'm here. However, I asked to deal with you personally. You stole magic from countless, including Ran-san, and you befriended Kuroba-kun. I don't take kindly to you treading where you don't belong."

Shinichi's eyes side glanced carelessly, "Ran-san, huh? I take it you care because she looks so similar to your girlfriend." He focused on his opponent once more with a smirk, who was glaring once more. "…Aoko-chan, was it?"

"You bastard!" Hakuba growled, finally losing his cool with the mention of his girlfriend. He quickly brought up a shield to surround Kaito – who looked like he wanted to intervene, but knowing he couldn't do anything against two mages – before more green orbs formed around him as he readied his attack. Shinichi smirked, clenching his device just a bit tighter.

"Oh? You intend to fight me without a barrier jacket or even a device? Cocky, aren't we?" He laughed and the taste of it was bitter in his mouth – he swallowed dryly, words lodged in his throat. He didn't like this. He didn't want this. (He didn't need this) ((But Shiho was waiting and Heiji needed help)) (That was reason enough, his mind whispered)

"There's no other choice, since you obviously don't intend to surrender. Backup will be here soon, either way."

"Backup or not, Hakuba Saguru," Shinichi began, lifting his staff once more (his arm felt heavy, like lead was weighing it down), much to the horror of Kaito, who was worrying about both of them. A magic circle appeared under metal-framed shoes and a large orb of energy focusing at the tip of the blue-gemmed cross. "When you're in heaven–" The words clogged in his throat (hollow, this all felt hollow) – he swallowed thickly – "Forgive me for not holding back."

**Review Replies:**

**To: Mokuren no Ken – Ran's discharge inevitably leads to destruction. XDDD (Laughs) And Shiho can mean several things~! XD **

**To: Mai-chan63 – Yay! I'm glad you liked it! 8D Thank you~! Was this soon? XD Well, at least, compared to some other updates, this one was relatively quick. XD **

**To: RoseAngel16 – Yup, he's okay~! 8D (Laughs) I'm glad, I was hoping to get some laughs out of that. XDD Thank you and here's the update! ^^ KaiShin for life! (Raises Fist)**

**To: Neukiri – Yay! I'm glad you like it! ^^ And yup, Tropical Land with Kaito~! 8DDD Sorry for not making it a success, though, but certain things have to happen for the plot. XDDD;;; ("for the plot" = my excuse for every crappy situation I put characters through, lol) And you're welcome! ^^ Here's another~! 8D **

**-Next is Kazuha, Heiji, and Shiho fight with more of this fight and yeah… XD;; I'm excited to start writing the next chapter! Hopefully, I won't leave you guys hanging for long. XD **


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